Potentially risky postural behaviors during worksite keyboard use

PubMed Central

Baker, Nancy A.; Redfern, Mark

2016-01-01

Objective This study describes the frequency and distribution of potentially risky postural behaviors of keyboard users. Method Forty-three subjects’ keyboard postural behaviors were rated with the Keyboard – Personal Computer Style instrument (K-PeCS) while they worked at their own workstations. The frequency and distribution of keyboard postural behaviors, and the associations and differences between the right and left sides were assessed. Results Generally, each static body posture had a single criterion that occurred most frequently, (e.g. elbow flexion posture 80 – 120 degrees), while dynamic postures of the wrists and hands were distributed throughout their criteria. Right and left side postural behaviors were significantly associated for shoulder flexion, elbow flexion, hand displacement, wrist extension, forearm rotation, isolated 5th digit, MCP hyperextension, and wrist support use, and significantly different for hand displacement, isolated thumb, number of digits used, and MCP hyperextension. Conclusion Potentially problematic keyboard postural behaviors are common among keyboard users. Our results suggest that occupational therapists must systematically assess body, arm, wrist, and hand postures on both the right and left sides to be able to develop the most effective intervention strategies. PMID:19708467

Forum: Learning Outcomes in Communication. Upside Down/Side Up: Problematizing Teacher Communication Behaviors and Learning Outcomes in Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dannels, Deanna P.; Toale, Mary C.; Backlund, Philip M.; Frederick, John G. M.; Love, Brad

2016-01-01

Could teacher communication behaviors generally assumed to be positive ever be detrimental to student realization of particular outcomes? This essay argues for increased scholarly attention to this question. The authors advocate a research agenda that explores the potential "downside" of teacher communication behaviors (TCBs);…

Drug Delivery Systems and Combination Therapy by Using Vinca Alkaloids

PubMed Central

Lee, Chun-Ting; Huang, Yen-Wei; Yang, Chih-Hui; Huang, Keng-Shiang

2015-01-01

Developing new methods for chemotherapy drug delivery has become a topic of great concern. Vinca alkaloids are among the most widely used chemotherapy reagents for tumor therapy; however, their side effects are particularly problematic for many medical doctors. To reduce the toxicity and enhance the therapeutic efficiency of vinca alkaloids, many researchers have developed strategies such as using liposome-entrapped drugs, chemical- or peptide-modified drugs, polymeric packaging drugs, and chemotherapy drug combinations. This review mainly focuses on the development of a vinca alkaloid drug delivery system and the combination therapy. Five vinca alkaloids (eg, vincristine, vinblastine, vinorelbine, vindesine, and vinflunine) are reviewed. PMID:25877096

Obstructive sleep apnea and severe mental illness: evolution and consequences.

PubMed

Lin, Wei-Chen; Winkelman, John W

2012-10-01

Sleep complaints are commonly encountered in psychiatric clinics. Underlying medical disorders or sleep disorders need to be identified and treated to optimize treatment of the mental illness. Excessive daytime sleepiness, which is the main symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), overlaps with those of many severe mental illnesses. Medication side effects or the disorder itself maybe account for daytime sleepiness but comorbid OSA is a possibility that should not be overlooked. The diagnosis of OSA is straightforward but treatment compliance is problematic in psychiatric patients. This article summarizes studies concerning comorbid OSA in patients with severe mental illness and includes suggestions for future investigations.

Native Chemical Ligation Strategy to Overcome Side Reactions during Fmoc-Based Synthesis of C-Terminal Cysteine-Containing Peptides.

PubMed

Lelièvre, Dominique; Terrier, Victor P; Delmas, Agnès F; Aucagne, Vincent

2016-03-04

The Fmoc-based solid phase synthesis of C-terminal cysteine-containing peptides is problematic, due to side reactions provoked by the pronounced acidity of the Cα proton of cysteine esters. We herein describe a general strategy consisting of the postsynthetic introduction of the C-terminal Cys through a key chemoselective native chemical ligation reaction with N-Hnb-Cys peptide crypto-thioesters. This method was successfully applied to the demanding peptide sequences of two natural products of biological interest, giving remarkably high overall yields compared to that of a state of the art strategy.

Exploring Associations between Problematic Internet Use, Depressive Symptoms and Sleep Disturbance among Southern Chinese Adolescents.

PubMed

Tan, Yafei; Chen, Ying; Lu, Yaogui; Li, Liping

2016-03-14

The primary aim of this study was to examine associations between problematic Internet use, depression and sleep disturbance, and explore whether there were differential effects of problematic Internet use and depression on sleep disturbance. A total of 1772 adolescents who participated in the Shantou Adolescent Mental Health Survey were recruited in 2012 in Shantou, China. The Chinese version of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was used to evaluate the prevalence and severity of Internet addiction. The Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10), and other socio-demographic measures were also completed. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the mediating effect of problematic Internet use and depression on sleep disturbance. Among the participants, 17.2% of adolescents met the criteria for problematic Internet use, 40.0% were also classified as suffering from sleep disturbance, and 54.4% of students had depressive symptoms. Problematic Internet use was significantly associated with depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance. The correlation between depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance was highly significant. Both problematic Internet use (β = 0.014; Sobel test Z = 12.7, p < 0.001) and depression (β = 0.232; Sobel test Z = 3.39, p < 0.001) had partially mediating effects on sleep disturbance and depression was of greater importance for sleep disturbance than problematic Internet use. There is a high prevalence of problematic Internet use, depression and sleep disturbance among high school students in southern China, and problematic Internet use and depressive symptoms are strongly associated with sleep disturbance. This study provides evidence that problematic Internet use and depression have partially mediating effects on sleep disturbance. These results are important for clinicians and policy makers with useful information for prevention and intervention efforts.

An open-label study of controlled-release melatonin in treatment of sleep disorders in children with autism.

PubMed

Giannotti, F; Cortesi, F; Cerquiglini, A; Bernabei, P

2006-08-01

Long-term effectiveness of controlled-release melatonin in 25 children, aged 2.6-9.6 years with autism without other coexistent pathologies was evaluated openly. Sleep patterns were studied using Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and sleep diaries at baseline, after 1-3-6 months melatonin treatment and 1 month after discontinuation. Sleep diary and CSHQ showed a more problematic sleep in autistic children compared with controls. During treatment sleep patterns of all children improved. After discontinuation 16 children returned to pre-treatment score, readministration of melatonin was again effective. Treatment gains were maintained at 12 and 24-month follow-ups. No adverse side effects were reported. In conclusion, controlled-release melatonin may provide an effective and well-tolerated treatment for autistic children with chronic sleep disorders.

Problematic Internet Usage: Personality Traits, Gender, Age and Effect of Dispositional Hope Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cetin Gudunz, Hicran; Eksioglu, Subhan; Tarhan, Sinem

2017-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of personality traits, gender, age and effects of dispositional hope level in problematic internet usage of university students. Research Methods: This paper is an example of a descriptive study, which presents the relationship between problematic internet usage of university students…

Problematic smartphone use: A conceptual overview and systematic review of relations with anxiety and depression psychopathology.

PubMed

Elhai, Jon D; Dvorak, Robert D; Levine, Jason C; Hall, Brian J

2017-01-01

Research literature on problematic smartphone use, or smartphone addiction, has proliferated. However, relationships with existing categories of psychopathology are not well defined. We discuss the concept of problematic smartphone use, including possible causal pathways to such use. We conducted a systematic review of the relationship between problematic use with psychopathology. Using scholarly bibliographic databases, we screened 117 total citations, resulting in 23 peer-reviewer papers examining statistical relations between standardized measures of problematic smartphone use/use severity and the severity of psychopathology. Most papers examined problematic use in relation to depression, anxiety, chronic stress and/or low self-esteem. Across this literature, without statistically adjusting for other relevant variables, depression severity was consistently related to problematic smartphone use, demonstrating at least medium effect sizes. Anxiety was also consistently related to problem use, but with small effect sizes. Stress was somewhat consistently related, with small to medium effects. Self-esteem was inconsistently related, with small to medium effects when found. Statistically adjusting for other relevant variables yielded similar but somewhat smaller effects. We only included correlational studies in our systematic review, but address the few relevant experimental studies also. We discuss causal explanations for relationships between problem smartphone use and psychopathology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Separate and combined impact of acute naltrexone and alprazolam on subjective and physiological effects of oral d-amphetamine in stimulant users

PubMed Central

Marks, Katherine R.; Lile, Joshua A.; Stoops, William W.

2014-01-01

Rationale Opioid antagonists (e.g., naltrexone) and positive modulators of γ-aminobutyric-acidA (GABAA) receptors (e.g., alprazolam) modestly attenuate the abuse-related effects of stimulants like amphetamine. The use of higher doses to achieve greater efficacy is precluded by side effects. Combining naltrexone and alprazolam might safely maximize efficacy while avoiding the untoward effects of the constituent compounds. Objectives The present pilot study tested the hypothesis that acute pretreatment with the combination of naltrexone and alprazolam would not produce clinically problematic physiological effects or negative subjective effects and would reduce the positive subjective effects of d-amphetamine to a greater extent than the constituent drugs alone. Methods Eight nontreatment-seeking, stimulant-using individuals completed an outpatient experiment in which oral d-amphetamine (0, 15, and 30 mg) was administered following acute pretreatment with naltrexone (0 and 50 mg) and alprazolam (0 and 0.5 mg). Subjective effects, psychomotor task performance, and physiological measures were collected. Results Oral d-amphetamine produced prototypical physiological and stimulant-like positive subjective effects (e.g., VAS ratings of Active/Alert/Energetic, Good Effect, and High). Pretreatment with naltrexone, alprazolam, and their combination did not produce clinically problematic acute physiological effects or negative subjective effects. Naltrexone and alprazolam each significantly attenuated some of the subjective effects of d-amphetamine. The combination attenuated a greater number of subjective effects than the constituent drugs alone. Conclusions The present results support the continued evaluation of an opioid receptor antagonist combined with a GABAA-positive modulator using more clinically relevant experimental conditions like examining the effect of chronic dosing with these drugs on methamphetamine self-administration. PMID:24464531

Separate and combined impact of acute naltrexone and alprazolam on subjective and physiological effects of oral d-amphetamine in stimulant users.

PubMed

Marks, Katherine R; Lile, Joshua A; Stoops, William W; Rush, Craig R

2014-07-01

Opioid antagonists (e.g., naltrexone) and positive modulators of γ-aminobutyric-acidA (GABAA) receptors (e.g., alprazolam) modestly attenuate the abuse-related effects of stimulants like amphetamine. The use of higher doses to achieve greater efficacy is precluded by side effects. Combining naltrexone and alprazolam might safely maximize efficacy while avoiding the untoward effects of the constituent compounds. The present pilot study tested the hypothesis that acute pretreatment with the combination of naltrexone and alprazolam would not produce clinically problematic physiological effects or negative subjective effects and would reduce the positive subjective effects of d-amphetamine to a greater extent than the constituent drugs alone. Eight nontreatment-seeking, stimulant-using individuals completed an outpatient experiment in which oral d-amphetamine (0, 15, and 30 mg) was administered following acute pretreatment with naltrexone (0 and 50 mg) and alprazolam (0 and 0.5 mg). Subjective effects, psychomotor task performance, and physiological measures were collected. Oral d-amphetamine produced prototypical physiological and stimulant-like positive subjective effects (e.g., VAS ratings of Active/Alert/Energetic, Good Effect, and High). Pretreatment with naltrexone, alprazolam, and their combination did not produce clinically problematic acute physiological effects or negative subjective effects. Naltrexone and alprazolam each significantly attenuated some of the subjective effects of d-amphetamine. The combination attenuated a greater number of subjective effects than the constituent drugs alone. The present results support the continued evaluation of an opioid receptor antagonist combined with a GABAA-positive modulator using more clinically relevant experimental conditions like examining the effect of chronic dosing with these drugs on methamphetamine self-administration.

Radiotherapy and wound healing: principles, management and prospects (review).

PubMed

Gieringer, Matthias; Gosepath, Jan; Naim, Ramin

2011-08-01

Radiation therapy is a major therapeutic modality in the management of cancer patients. Over 60% of these patients receive radiotherapy at some point during their course of treatment and over 90% will develop skin reactions after therapy. Problematic wound healing in radiation-damaged tissue constitutes a major surgical difficulty and despite all efforts, irradiated skin remains a therapeutic challenge. This review provides an overview of the fundamental principles of radiation therapy with regards to the wound healing in normal and irradiated skin. Furthermore, it presents techniques that describe how to prevent and manage skin side effects as well as prospects that may improve cutaneous wound repair in general and in irradiated skin.

Exploring Associations between Problematic Internet Use, Depressive Symptoms and Sleep Disturbance among Southern Chinese Adolescents

PubMed Central

Tan, Yafei; Chen, Ying; Lu, Yaogui; Li, Liping

2016-01-01

The primary aim of this study was to examine associations between problematic Internet use, depression and sleep disturbance, and explore whether there were differential effects of problematic Internet use and depression on sleep disturbance. A total of 1772 adolescents who participated in the Shantou Adolescent Mental Health Survey were recruited in 2012 in Shantou, China. The Chinese version of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was used to evaluate the prevalence and severity of Internet addiction. The Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10), and other socio-demographic measures were also completed. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the mediating effect of problematic Internet use and depression on sleep disturbance. Among the participants, 17.2% of adolescents met the criteria for problematic Internet use, 40.0% were also classified as suffering from sleep disturbance, and 54.4% of students had depressive symptoms. Problematic Internet use was significantly associated with depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance. The correlation between depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance was highly significant. Both problematic Internet use (β = 0.014; Sobel test Z = 12.7, p < 0.001) and depression (β = 0.232; Sobel test Z = 3.39, p < 0.001) had partially mediating effects on sleep disturbance and depression was of greater importance for sleep disturbance than problematic Internet use. There is a high prevalence of problematic Internet use, depression and sleep disturbance among high school students in southern China, and problematic Internet use and depressive symptoms are strongly associated with sleep disturbance. This study provides evidence that problematic Internet use and depression have partially mediating effects on sleep disturbance. These results are important for clinicians and policy makers with useful information for prevention and intervention efforts. PMID:26985900

The Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reaction of Halogenated Aminopyrazoles: Method Development, Scope, and Mechanism of Dehalogenation Side Reaction.

PubMed

Jedinák, Lukáš; Zátopková, Renáta; Zemánková, Hana; Šustková, Alena; Cankař, Petr

2017-01-06

The efficient Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of halogenated aminopyrazoles and their amides or ureas with a range of aryl, heteroaryl, and styryl boronic acids or esters has been developed. The method allowed incorporation of problematic substrates: aminopyrazoles bearing protected or unprotected pyrazole NH, as well as the free amino or N-amide group. Direct comparison of the chloro, bromo, and iodopyrazoles in the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction revealed that Br and Cl derivatives were superior to iodopyrazoles, as a result of reduced propensity to dehalogenation. Moreover, the mechanism and factors affecting the undesired dehalogenation side reaction were revealed.

The impact of shyness on problematic internet use: the role of loneliness.

PubMed

Huan, Vivien S; Ang, Rebecca P; Chong, Wan Har; Chye, Stefanie

2014-01-01

In recent years, research indicated that the problematic effects of Internet use must be examined together with individual differences present in its users with which such effects are contingent. This study examined loneliness in adolescents as a mediator of the relationship between shyness and their generalized problematic Internet use (PIU). A total of 1469 adolescents (48.5% male, 51.5% female) from Grade 8 and Grade 9 classes participated in this study. Using the Social Reticence Scale (SRS), the revised UCLA Loneliness scale and the Generalized Problematic Internet Use scale, initial findings indicated significant correlations among the three variables. Results from the study further revealed that loneliness completely mediated the relationship between shyness and generalized problematic Internet use. Implications for intervention work addressing both loneliness and shyness issues facing adolescents who are problematic users of the Internet were discussed.

The mediating effect of self-esteem, depression and anxiety between satisfaction with body appearance and problematic internet use.

PubMed

Koronczai, Beatrix; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi; Urbán, Róbert; Kun, Bernadette; Pápay, Orsolya; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Griffiths, Mark D; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2013-07-01

Given that dissatisfaction with bodily appearance can sometimes lead to the avoidance of personal contacts and the increase of internet use, this study examines this relationship. The direct role of dissatisfaction with bodily appearance along with the possible mediation effects of depression, anxiety and self-esteem were tested. A total of 694 participants completed an online questionnaire (58.5% male, mean age 21.5 years), containing measures on problematic internet use, depression and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem and satisfaction with body image. Path analyses were used to test direct and indirect effects. Satisfaction with body appearance had a significant negative direct effect on problematic internet use among both sexes. Though, satisfaction with body appearance had a positive effect on self-esteem and negative on anxiety, neither self-esteem nor anxiety had a direct significant effect on problematic internet use. The effect of dissatisfaction with body appearance was mediated via the self-esteem-depression path toward problematic internet use. Dissatisfaction with physical appearance seems to have a significant role in individuals' immersing themselves in internet use.

Deconstructing the Associations Between Executive Functioning, Problematic Alcohol Use, and Intimate Partner Aggression: A Dyadic Analysis

PubMed Central

Parrott, Dominic J.; Swartout, Kevin M.; Eckhardt, Christopher I.; Subramani, Olivia S.

2016-01-01

Introduction and Aims Problematic drinking and executive functioning deficits are two known risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA). However, executive functioning is a multifaceted construct, and it is not clear whether deficits in specific components of executive functioning are differentially associated with IPA perpetration generally and within the context of problematic alcohol use. To address this question, the present study investigated the effects of problematic drinking and components of executive functioning on physical IPA perpetration within a dyadic framework. Design and Methods Participants were 582 heavy drinking couples (total N = 1,164) with a recent history of psychological and/or physical IPA recruited from two metropolitan cities in the United States. Multilevel models were used to examine effects within an Actor-Partner Interdependence framework. Results The highest levels of physical IPA were observed among Actors who reported everyday consequences of executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation whose partners were problematic drinkers. However, the association between executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation and IPA was stronger toward partners who were non-problematic drinkers relative to partners who were problematic drinkers drinkers. No such effect was found for executive functioning deficits related to behavioral regulation. Discussion and Conclusions Results provide insight into how problematic drinking and specific executive functioning deficits interact dyadically in relation to physical IPA perpetration. PMID:28116760

Impact of gene patents on diagnostic testing: a new patent landscaping method applied to spinocerebellar ataxia

PubMed Central

Berthels, Nele; Matthijs, Gert; Van Overwalle, Geertrui

2011-01-01

Recent reports in Europe and the United States raise concern about the potential negative impact of gene patents on the freedom to operate of diagnosticians and on the access of patients to genetic diagnostic services. Patents, historically seen as legal instruments to trigger innovation, could cause undesired side effects in the public health domain. Clear empirical evidence on the alleged hindering effect of gene patents is still scarce. We therefore developed a patent categorization method to determine which gene patents could indeed be problematic. The method is applied to patents relevant for genetic testing of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). The SCA test is probably the most widely used DNA test in (adult) neurology, as well as one of the most challenging due to the heterogeneity of the disease. Typically tested as a gene panel covering the five common SCA subtypes, we show that the patenting of SCA genes and testing methods and the associated licensing conditions could have far-reaching consequences on legitimate access to this gene panel. Moreover, with genetic testing being increasingly standardized, simply ignoring patents is unlikely to hold out indefinitely. This paper aims to differentiate among so-called ‘gene patents' by lifting out the truly problematic ones. In doing so, awareness is raised among all stakeholders in the genetic diagnostics field who are not necessarily familiar with the ins and outs of patenting and licensing. PMID:21811306

Knowledge and Beliefs about Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology among Mexican-Origin Women in the U.S.A: Implications for Effective Oral Contraceptive Use

PubMed Central

Amastae, Jon; Potter, Joseph E.; Hopkins, Kristine; Grossman, Daniel

2013-01-01

Inherent in many reproductive health and family planning programmes is the problematic assumption that the body, its processes, and modifications to it are universally experienced in the same way. This paper addresses contraceptive knowledge and beliefs among Mexican-origin women, based upon data gathered by the qualitative component of the Border Contraceptive Access Study. Open-ended interviews explored the perceived mechanism of action of the pill, side effects, non-contraceptive benefits, and general knowledge of contraception. Findings revealed complex connections between traditional and scientific information. Use of medical terms (“hormone”) illustrated attempts to integrate new information with existing knowledge and belief systems. Conclusions address concerns that existing information and services may not be sufficient if population-specific knowledge and beliefs are not assessed and addressed. Findings can contribute to the development of effective education, screening, and reproductive health services. PMID:23464742

The 'dark side' and 'bright side' of personality: when too much conscientiousness and too little anxiety are detrimental with respect to the acquisition of medical knowledge and skill.

PubMed

Ferguson, Eamonn; Semper, Heather; Yates, Janet; Fitzgerald, J Edward; Skatova, Anya; James, David

2014-01-01

Theory suggests that personality traits evolved to have costs and benefits, with the effectiveness of a trait dependent on how these costs and benefits relate to the present circumstances. This suggests that traits that are generally viewed as positive can have a 'dark side' and those generally viewed as negative can have a 'bright side' depending on changes in context. We test this in a sample of 220 UK medical students with respect to associations between the Big 5 personality traits and learning outcomes across the 5 years of a medical degree. The medical degree offers a changing learning context from pre-clinical years (where a more methodical approach to learning is needed) to the clinical years (where more flexible learning is needed, in a more stressful context). We argue that while trait conscientiousness should enhance pre-clinical learning, it has a 'dark side' reducing the acquisition of knowledge in the clinical years. We also suggest that anxiety has a 'bright side' enhancing the acquisition of skills in the clinical years. We also explore if intelligence enhances learning across the medical degree. Using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling we show that medical skills and knowledge assessed in the pre-clinical and clinical years are psychometrically distinguishable, forming a learning 'backbone', whereby subsequent learning outcomes are predicted by previous ones. Consistent with our predictions conscientiousness enhanced preclinical knowledge acquisition but reduced the acquisition of clinical knowledge and anxiety enhanced the acquisition of clinical skills. We also identified a curvilinear U shaped association between Surgency (extraversion) and pre-clinical knowledge acquisition. Intelligence predicted initial clinical knowledge, and had a positive total indirect effect on clinical knowledge and clinical skill acquisition. For medical selection, this suggests that selecting students high on conscientiousness may be problematic, as it may be excluding those with some degree of moderate anxiety.

Deconstructing the associations between executive functioning, problematic alcohol use and intimate partner aggression: A dyadic analysis.

PubMed

Parrott, Dominic J; Swartout, Kevin M; Eckhardt, Christopher I; Subramani, Olivia S

2017-01-01

Problematic drinking and executive functioning deficits are two known risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA). However, executive functioning is a multifaceted construct, and it is not clear whether deficits in specific components of executive functioning are differentially associated with IPA perpetration generally and within the context of problematic alcohol use. To address this question, the present study investigated the effects of problematic drinking and components of executive functioning on physical IPA perpetration within a dyadic framework. Participants were 582 heavy drinking couples (total n = 1164) with a recent history of psychological and/or physical IPA recruited from two metropolitan cities in the USA. Multilevel models were used to examine effects within an actor-partner interdependence framework. The highest levels of physical IPA were observed among actors who reported everyday consequences of executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation whose partners were problematic drinkers. However, the association between executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation and IPA was stronger towards partners who were non-problematic drinkers relative to partners who were problematic drinkers. No such effect was found for executive functioning deficits related to behavioural regulation. Results provide insight into how problematic drinking and specific executive functioning deficits interact dyadically in relation to physical IPA perpetration. [Parrott DJ, Swartout KM, Eckhardt CI, Subramani OS. Deconstructing the associations between executive functioning, problematic alcohol use and intimate partner aggression: A dyadic analysis. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:88-96]. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Calculating Nozzle Side Loads using Acceleration Measurements of Test-Based Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Andrew M.; Ruf, Joe

2007-01-01

As part of a NASA/MSFC research program to evaluate the effect of different nozzle contours on the well-known but poorly characterized "side load" phenomena, we attempt to back out the net force on a sub-scale nozzle during cold-flow testing using acceleration measurements. Because modeling the test facility dynamics is problematic, new techniques for creating a "pseudo-model" of the facility and nozzle directly from modal test results are applied. Extensive verification procedures were undertaken, resulting in a loading scale factor necessary for agreement between test and model based frequency response functions. Side loads are then obtained by applying a wide-band random load onto the system model, obtaining nozzle response PSD's, and iterating both the amplitude and frequency of the input until a good comparison of the response with the measured response PSD for a specific time point is obtained. The final calculated loading can be used to compare different nozzle profiles for assessment during rocket engine nozzle development and as a basis for accurate design of the nozzle and engine structure to withstand these loads. The techniques applied within this procedure have extensive applicability to timely and accurate characterization of all test fixtures used for modal test.A viewgraph presentation on a model-test based pseudo-model used to calculate side loads on rocket engine nozzles is included. The topics include: 1) Side Loads in Rocket Nozzles; 2) Present Side Loads Research at NASA/MSFC; 3) Structural Dynamic Model Generation; 4) Pseudo-Model Generation; 5) Implementation; 6) Calibration of Pseudo-Model Response; 7) Pseudo-Model Response Verification; 8) Inverse Force Determination; 9) Results; and 10) Recent Work.

A basic need theory approach to problematic Internet use and the mediating effect of psychological distress

PubMed Central

Wong, Ting Yat; Yuen, Kenneth S. L.; Li, Wang On

2015-01-01

The Internet provides an easily accessible way to meet certain needs. Over-reliance on it leads to problematic use, which studies show can be predicted by psychological distress. Self-determination theory proposes that we all have the basic need for autonomy, competency, and relatedness. This has been shown to explain the motivations behind problematic Internet use. This study hypothesizes that individuals who are psychologically disturbed because their basic needs are not being met are more vulnerable to becoming reliant on the Internet when they seek such needs satisfaction from online activities, and tests a model in which basic needs predict problematic Internet use, fully mediated by psychological distress. Problematic Internet use, psychological distress, and basic needs satisfaction were psychometrically measured in a sample of 229 Hong Kong University students and structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model. All indices showed the model has a good fit. Further, statistical testing supported a mediation effect for psychological distress between needs satisfaction and problematic Internet use. The results extend our understanding of the development and prevention of problematic Internet use based on the framework of self-determination theory. Psychological distress could be used as an early predictor, while preventing and treating problematic Internet use should emphasize the fulfillment of unmet needs. PMID:25642201

A basic need theory approach to problematic Internet use and the mediating effect of psychological distress.

PubMed

Wong, Ting Yat; Yuen, Kenneth S L; Li, Wang On

2014-01-01

The Internet provides an easily accessible way to meet certain needs. Over-reliance on it leads to problematic use, which studies show can be predicted by psychological distress. Self-determination theory proposes that we all have the basic need for autonomy, competency, and relatedness. This has been shown to explain the motivations behind problematic Internet use. This study hypothesizes that individuals who are psychologically disturbed because their basic needs are not being met are more vulnerable to becoming reliant on the Internet when they seek such needs satisfaction from online activities, and tests a model in which basic needs predict problematic Internet use, fully mediated by psychological distress. Problematic Internet use, psychological distress, and basic needs satisfaction were psychometrically measured in a sample of 229 Hong Kong University students and structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model. All indices showed the model has a good fit. Further, statistical testing supported a mediation effect for psychological distress between needs satisfaction and problematic Internet use. The results extend our understanding of the development and prevention of problematic Internet use based on the framework of self-determination theory. Psychological distress could be used as an early predictor, while preventing and treating problematic Internet use should emphasize the fulfillment of unmet needs.

Longitudinal associations between depression and problematic substance use in the Youth Partners in Care study.

PubMed

McKowen, James W; Tompson, Martha C; Brown, Timothy A; Asarnow, Joan R

2013-01-01

Large-scale treatment studies suggest that effective depression treatment and reduced depression are associated with improved substance use outcomes. Yet information is limited regarding the longitudinal association between depressive symptoms and problematic substance use and its predictors, particularly in real-world practice settings. Using latent growth modeling, we examined the (a) longitudinal association between depressive symptoms and problematic substance use, (b) impact of depressive symptoms on problematic substance use, (c) impact of problematic substance use on depressive symptoms, and (d) role of co-occurring symptoms on depression and problematic substance use. Participants were part of the Youth Partners in Care study, an effectiveness trial evaluating a quality improvement intervention for youth depression through primary care. This ethnically diverse sample included youths aged 13 to 21 years screening positive for depression from 5 health care organizations. Participants were followed 4 times over an 18-month period and assessed for both depressive symptoms and problematic substance use. Both depressive symptoms and problematic substance use declined over time. Higher baseline depressive symptoms predicted a slower decline in problematic substance use, but baseline problematic substance use did not predict changes in depressive symptoms. These prospective associations remained robust controlling for co-occurring symptoms. Results support prior large-scale depression studies indicating depression burden negatively impacts substance use outcome and extends these findings to real-world practice settings. Findings underscore the importance of addressing depression severity in youth with concurrent substance use problems, even in the context of comorbid symptoms of anxiety, delinquency, and aggression.

Association between problematic cellular phone use and suicide: the moderating effect of family function and depression.

PubMed

Wang, Peng-Wei; Liu, Tai-Ling; Ko, Chih-Hung; Lin, Huang-Chi; Huang, Mei-Feng; Yeh, Yi-Chun; Yen, Cheng-Fang

2014-02-01

Suicidal ideation and attempt among adolescents are risk factors for eventual completed suicide. Cellular phone use (CPU) has markedly changed the everyday lives of adolescents. Issues about how cellular phone use relates to adolescent mental health, such as suicidal ideation and attempts, are important because of the high rate of cellular phone usage among children in that age group. This study explored the association between problematic CPU and suicidal ideation and attempts among adolescents and investigated how family function and depression influence the association between problematic CPU and suicidal ideation and attempts. A total of 5051 (2872 girls and 2179 boys) adolescents who owned at least one cellular phone completed the research questionnaires. We collected data on participants' CPU and suicidal behavior (ideation and attempts) during the past month as well as information on family function and history of depression. Five hundred thirty-two adolescents (10.54%) had problematic CPU. The rates of suicidal ideation were 23.50% and 11.76% in adolescents with problematic CPU and without problematic CPU, respectively. The rates of suicidal attempts in both groups were 13.70% and 5.45%, respectively. Family function, but not depression, had a moderating effect on the association between problematic CPU and suicidal ideation and attempt. This study highlights the association between problematic CPU and suicidal ideation as well as attempts and indicates that good family function may have a more significant role on reducing the risks of suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents with problematic CPU than in those without problematic CPU. © 2014.

The interactive effects of affect lability, negative urgency, and sensation seeking on young adult problematic drinking.

PubMed

Karyadi, Kenny; Coskunpinar, Ayca; Dir, Allyson L; Cyders, Melissa A

2013-01-01

Prior studies have suggested that affect lability might reduce the risk for problematic drinking among sensation seekers by compensating for their deficiencies in emotional reactivity and among individuals high on negative urgency by disrupting stable negative emotions. Due to the high prevalence of college drinking, this study examined whether affect lability interacted with sensation seeking and negative urgency to influence college student problematic drinking. 414 college drinkers (mean age: 20, 77% female, and 74% Caucasian) from a US Midwestern University completed self-administered questionnaires online. Consistent with our hypotheses, our results indicated that the effects of sensation seeking and negative urgency on problematic drinking weakened at higher levels of affect lability. These findings emphasize the importance of considering specific emotional contexts in understanding how negative urgency and sensation seeking create risk for problematic drinking among college students. These findings might also help us better understand how to reduce problematic drinking among sensation seekers and individuals high on negative urgency.

The Interactive Effects of Affect Lability, Negative Urgency, and Sensation Seeking on Young Adult Problematic Drinking

PubMed Central

Karyadi, Kenny; Coskunpinar, Ayca; Dir, Allyson L.; Cyders, Melissa A.

2013-01-01

Prior studies have suggested that affect lability might reduce the risk for problematic drinking among sensation seekers by compensating for their deficiencies in emotional reactivity and among individuals high on negative urgency by disrupting stable negative emotions. Due to the high prevalence of college drinking, this study examined whether affect lability interacted with sensation seeking and negative urgency to influence college student problematic drinking. 414 college drinkers (mean age: 20, 77% female, and 74% Caucasian) from a US Midwestern University completed self-administered questionnaires online. Consistent with our hypotheses, our results indicated that the effects of sensation seeking and negative urgency on problematic drinking weakened at higher levels of affect lability. These findings emphasize the importance of considering specific emotional contexts in understanding how negative urgency and sensation seeking create risk for problematic drinking among college students. These findings might also help us better understand how to reduce problematic drinking among sensation seekers and individuals high on negative urgency. PMID:24826366

Well-being, problematic alcohol consumption and acute subjective drug effects in past-year ayahuasca users: a large, international, self-selecting online survey.

PubMed

Lawn, Will; Hallak, Jaime E; Crippa, Jose A; Dos Santos, Rafael; Porffy, Lilla; Barratt, Monica J; Ferris, Jason A; Winstock, Adam R; Morgan, Celia J A

2017-11-09

Ayahuasca is a natural psychedelic brew, which contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Its potential as a psychiatric medicine has recently been demonstrated and its non-medical use around the world appears to be growing. We aimed to investigate well-being and problematic alcohol use in ayahuasca users, and ayahuasca's subjective effects. An online, self-selecting, global survey examining patterns of drug use was conducted in 2015 and 2016 (n = 96,901). Questions were asked about: use of ayahuasca, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and magic mushrooms; demographics, current well-being and past-year problematic alcohol use of past-year ayahuasca users and comparison drug users; and subjective effects of ayahuasca and comparison drugs. Ayahuasca users (n = 527) reported greater well-being than both classic psychedelic users (n = 18,138) and non-psychedelic drug-using respondents (n = 78,236). Ayahuasca users reported less problematic drinking than classic psychedelic users, although both groups reported greater problematic drinking than the other respondents. Ayahuasca's acute subjective effects usually lasted for six hours and were most strongly felt one hour after consumption. Within our online, self-selecting survey, ayahuasca users reported better well-being than comparison groups and less problematic drinking than classic psychedelic users. Future longitudinal studies of international samples and randomised controlled trials are needed to dissect the effects of ayahuasca on these outcomes.

Controversies in nursing ethics: a historical review.

PubMed

Olsen, D P

1992-09-01

The author critiques the dialectic between justice-based ethics and an ethic of caring from a historical perspective (by analogy with the dialectic between agape and friendship). Justice-based ethics have been problematic for nursing because of the decontextualized approach. The ethic of caring is problematic because caring, being contextual, is particularistic and therefore can be based on morally irrelevant factors, such as liking. There is a tradition of writing which seeks to reconcile the particularistic obligations of friendship with the moral duty to all others equally. Ideas from the following authors are reviewed for relevance to nursing: Aristotle, Aelred of Rievaulx, Augustine, John Cassian, Cicero, George Berkeley, Immanuel Kant, Michel de Montaigne, Jeremy Taylor and Max Weber. The authors concludes by noting that both sides of the dialectic are synthesized in the lived experience of individuals. A synthesis in thought is called for on this basis.

Non-pharmacological biological treatment approaches to difficult-to-treat depression.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, Paul B

2013-09-16

There has been substantial recent interest in novel brain stimulation treatments for difficult-to-treat depression. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a well established, effective treatment for severe depression. ECT's problematic side-effect profile and questions regarding optimal administration methods continue to be investigated. Magnetic seizure therapy, although very early in development, shows promise, with potentially similar efficacy to ECT but fewer side effects. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) are clinically available in some countries. Limited research suggests VNS has potentially long-lasting antidepressant effects in a small group of patients. Considerable research supports the efficacy of rTMS. Both techniques require further study of optimal treatment parameters. Transcranial direct current stimulation may provide a low-cost antidepressant option if its efficacy is substantiated in larger samples. Deep brain stimulation is likely to remain reserved for patients with the most severe and difficult-to-treat depression, requiring further exploration of administration methods and its role in depression therapy. New and innovative forms of brain stimulation, including low-intensity ultrasound, low-field magnetic stimulation and epidural stimulation of the cortical surface, are in early stages of exploration and are yet to move into the clinical domain. Ongoing work is required to define which brain stimulation treatments are likely to be most useful, and in which patient groups. Clinical service development of brain stimulation treatments will likely be inconsistent and variable.

The associations between problematic Facebook use, psychological distress and well-being among adolescents and young adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Marino, Claudia; Gini, Gianluca; Vieno, Alessio; Spada, Marcantonio M

2018-01-15

A growing body of research has analyzed the potential risks of problematic Facebook use for mental health and well-being. The current meta-analysis is the first to examine the associations between problematic Facebook use, psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, etc.) and well-being (life satisfaction, positive mental health) among adolescents and young adults. A comprehensive search strategy identified relevant studies in PsychInfo, Pubmed, Scopus, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar. The final sample included 23 independent samples with a total of 13,929 participants (60.7% females; M age = 21.93, range: 16.5-32.4). Results of random effects meta-analysis confirmed a positive correlation between problematic Facebook use and psychological distress (r = .34, 95% CI [.28, .39]). Moderation analysis revealed that effect sizes were larger in older samples. Moreover, a negative correlation between problematic Facebook use and well-being was observed (r = -.22, 95% CI [-.28, -.15]). All available studies used a cross-sectional design thus hampering the possibility to establish the direction of the association between problematic Facebook use and psychological distress and well-being. Results are discussed within the extant literature on problematic Facebook use and future research directions are proposed. This research may also inform clinical and prevention interventions on problematic Facebook use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using the medical food flavocoxid [corrected] in managing osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Gottlieb, Daniel; Kuritzky, Louis

2011-01-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common debilitating joint disease worldwide. Clinicians have many therapeutic modalities and prescription medications in their arsenals to treat chronic inflammatory pain. However, as patients age, and develop numerous comorbidities, the most common, and often most effective pharmacologic treatment for OA, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), becomes problematic in that it may exacerbate or even cause cardiovascular, renal, and/or gastrointestinal pathology. This paper reviews the metabolism of arachidonic acid as it relates to the clinical treatment of inflammation, and explores a novel botanical therapy, flavocoxid, that has shown equal efficacy to naproxen in treating pain associated with mild to moderate OA of the knee. Flavocoxid has demonstrated balanced inhibition of the three primary enzymes responsible for processing AA, cyclooxygenases 1 and 2, and 5-lipoxygenase. Researchers have proposed that balanced inhibition of AA metabolism offers the promise of analgesia similar to NSAIDs without the associated cardiovascular, renal, or gastrointestinal side effects.

Biological and biomedical aspects of genetically modified food.

PubMed

Celec, Peter; Kukucková, Martina; Renczésová, Veronika; Natarajan, Satheesh; Pálffy, Roland; Gardlík, Roman; Hodosy, Július; Behuliak, Michal; Vlková, Barbora; Minárik, Gabriel; Szemes, Tomás; Stuchlík, Stanislav; Turna, Ján

2005-12-01

Genetically modified (GM) foods are the product of one of the most progressive fields of science-biotechnology. There are major concerns about GM foods in the public; some of them are reasonable, some of them are not. Biomedical risks of GM foods include problems regarding the potential allergenicity, horizontal gene transfer, but environmental side effects on biodiversity must also be recognized. Numerous methods have been developed to assess the potential risk of every GM food type. Benefits of the first generation of GM foods were oriented towards the production process and companies, the second generation of GM foods offers, on contrary, various advantages and added value for the consumer. This includes improved nutritional composition or even therapeutic effects. Recombinant probiotics and the principle of alternative gene therapy represent the latest approach of using GM organisms for biomedical applications. This article tries to summarize and to explain the problematic topic of GM food.

Refining Measures for Assessing Problematic/Addictive Digital Gaming Use in Clinical and Research Settings.

PubMed

Faust, Kyle; Faust, David

2015-08-12

Problematic or addictive digital gaming (including all types of electronic devices) can and has had extremely adverse impacts on the lives of many individuals across the world. The understanding of this phenomenon, and the effectiveness of treatment design and monitoring, can be improved considerably by continuing refinement of assessment tools. The present article briefly overviews tools designed to measure problematic or addictive use of digital gaming, the vast majority of which are founded on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria for other addictive disorders, such as pathological gambling. Although adapting DSM content and strategies for measuring problematic digital gaming has proven valuable, there are some potential issues with this approach. We discuss the strengths and limitations of current methods for measuring problematic or addictive gaming and provide various recommendations that might help in enhancing or supplementing existing tools, or in developing new and even more effective tools.

Refining Measures for Assessing Problematic/Addictive Digital Gaming Use in Clinical and Research Settings

PubMed Central

Faust, Kyle; Faust, David

2015-01-01

Problematic or addictive digital gaming (including all types of electronic devices) can and has had extremely adverse impacts on the lives of many individuals across the world. The understanding of this phenomenon, and the effectiveness of treatment design and monitoring, can be improved considerably by continuing refinement of assessment tools. The present article briefly overviews tools designed to measure problematic or addictive use of digital gaming, the vast majority of which are founded on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria for other addictive disorders, such as pathological gambling. Although adapting DSM content and strategies for measuring problematic digital gaming has proven valuable, there are some potential issues with this approach. We discuss the strengths and limitations of current methods for measuring problematic or addictive gaming and provide various recommendations that might help in enhancing or supplementing existing tools, or in developing new and even more effective tools. PMID:26274977

Intense video gaming is not essentially problematic.

PubMed

Király, Orsolya; Tóth, Dénes; Urbán, Róbert; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Maraz, Aniko

2017-11-01

Video games are more popular than ever and the general public, including parents, educators, and the media, tends to consider intense video gaming fundamentally problematic. To test this hypothesis, participants were recruited via gaming-related websites resulting in a sample of N = 5,222 online video gamers (mean age: 22.2 years, SD = 6.4). Besides assessing gaming time, we administered the Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire. Two structural regression models were estimated with both gaming time and problematic gaming as outcome variables. Predictors were psychiatric symptoms in the first, and gaming motives in the second model. Both models yielded adequate fit indices. Psychiatric symptoms had a moderate positive effect on problematic use (β = .46, p < .001) whereas their effect on gaming time was practically zero (β = -.01, p = .84). In the second model, Escape was the most prominent motive and was moderately to-strongly associated (β = .58, p < .001) with problematic use. However, the association between Escape and gaming time was substantially weaker (β = .21, p < .001). The correlation between gaming time and problematic use was weak-to-moderate in both models (r = .26, p < .001 and r = .21, p < .001, respectively). Data suggest that gaming time is weakly associated with negative psychological factors such as psychiatric symptoms and Escape motive, which were found to be consistently related to problematic use. Therefore, the amount of gaming time alone appears to be an unreliable predictor of problematic use, which questions the aforementioned idea that intense gaming is essentially problematic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Mediating Effects of Global Negative Effect Expectancies on the Association between Problematic Cannabis Use and Social Anxiety.

PubMed

Di Blasi, Maria; Cavani, Paola; Pavia, Laura; Tosto, Crispino; La Grutta, Sabina; Lo Baido, Rosa; Giordano, Cecilia; Schimmenti, Adriano

2017-01-01

The relationship between social anxiety (SA) and cannabis use among adolescents and young adults is a highly debated topic. In this cross-sectional study, we tested whether cannabis use expectancies mediated the association between SA and cannabis use severity in a sample of 343 young adults (74.3% male) who used cannabis. They completed self-report measures for the screening of problematic cannabis use (Cannabis Use Problems Identification Test) and SA symptoms (Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and Social Phobia Scale). A multiple mediation analysis was used to test whether marijuana effect expectancies mediate SA effect on problematic cannabis use. SA was negatively associated with cannabis use severity in this sample, and we found evidence that cannabis use expectancies fully mediated this relationship. Specifically, global negative effect expectancies influence the relationship between SA and problematic cannabis use. These findings may inform current prevention strategies and clinical intervention for young adults who use cannabis.

Mediating Effects of Global Negative Effect Expectancies on the Association between Problematic Cannabis Use and Social Anxiety

PubMed Central

Di Blasi, Maria; Cavani, Paola; Pavia, Laura; Tosto, Crispino; La Grutta, Sabina; Lo Baido, Rosa; Giordano, Cecilia; Schimmenti, Adriano

2017-01-01

The relationship between social anxiety (SA) and cannabis use among adolescents and young adults is a highly debated topic. In this cross-sectional study, we tested whether cannabis use expectancies mediated the association between SA and cannabis use severity in a sample of 343 young adults (74.3% male) who used cannabis. They completed self-report measures for the screening of problematic cannabis use (Cannabis Use Problems Identification Test) and SA symptoms (Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and Social Phobia Scale). A multiple mediation analysis was used to test whether marijuana effect expectancies mediate SA effect on problematic cannabis use. SA was negatively associated with cannabis use severity in this sample, and we found evidence that cannabis use expectancies fully mediated this relationship. Specifically, global negative effect expectancies influence the relationship between SA and problematic cannabis use. These findings may inform current prevention strategies and clinical intervention for young adults who use cannabis. PMID:29213247

Problematic versus non-problematic ecstasy/MDMA use: the influence of drug usage patterns and pre-existing psychiatric factors.

PubMed

Soar, K; Turner, J J D; Parrott, A C

2006-05-01

Recreational ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA) use has been increasingly associated with a number of psychiatric symptoms and psychological problems. However, previous studies assessing possible psychopathological effects have not identified whether users consider their ecstasy use "problematic" or not. In addition, research has generally failed to address the potential role of premorbid psychiatric status. This study aimed to assess whether premorbid psychiatric history and/or patterns of ecstasy use would be associated with the degree of self-reported problems attributable to ecstasy. Problematic ecstasy users (n = 53) who had reported problems attributable to their ecstasy use were compared with non-problematic ecstasy users (n = 62), polydrug controls (n = 62) and illegal drug-naive controls (n = 111) on a recreational drug use questionnaire; a questionnaire, which ascertained personal and family psychiatric histories, and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Problematic ecstasy users exhibited significantly higher scores on a number of dimensions of the BSI compared to illegal drug-naive and/or polydrug controls. Problematic ecstasy users also exhibited significantly elevated scores on somatization, depression, anxiety and negative psychobiology compared to non-problematic ecstasy users. BSI scores for the non-problematic ecstasy users did not differ from polydrug or illegal drug-naive controls. Problematic ecstasy users reported significantly higher levels of ecstasy use, including lifetime consumption, average dosage and binge consumption compared to non-problematic ecstasy users. Additionally, a greater number of problematic ecstasy users reported personal and family psychiatric histories compared to controls and non-problematic ecstasy users. This study demonstrates two distinct ecstasy using groups: non-problematic ecstasy users who are not showing signs of psychopathology and problematic ecstasy users who are showing evidence of a range of symptoms. This data therefore partially supports the link between ecstasy dosage and negative psychological sequelae, but highlights the importance of the need to consider ecstasy-related attributions, pre-existing mental health status and vulnerability.

[Medical honey in the treatment of wound-healing disorders in the head and neck area].

PubMed

Knipping, S; Grünewald, B; Hirt, R

2012-09-01

Already in ancient times honey was used as a drug and for the treatment of wounds. In recent years the different effects of honey on wound-healing processes have been reexamined. Based on this, the antibacterial and fungicidal qualities of honey could be confirmed. Between January 2009 and July 2011 medical honey was used on 36 patients suffering from different wound-healing disorders in the head and neck area after unsuccessful conventional treatment. The healing process was registered by microbiological investigations, measurements of the wound edges and adequate photo documentation. Medical honey can be used without problems or detectable side effects on problematic wounds of the head and neck area. Constant treatment leads to fast wound lavation, granulation, reduction of putrid smells and a decrease in inflammation. In the treatment of poorly healing and infected wounds within the head and neck area, medical honey can be used successfully without problems as an effective alternative to conventional treatment options.

Perceptions of Partners’ Problematic Alcohol Use Affect Relationship Outcomes Beyond Partner Self-Reported Drinking: Alcohol Use in Committed Romantic Relationships

PubMed Central

Rodriguez, Lindsey M.; Overup, Camilla S.; Neighbors, Clayton

2013-01-01

Alcohol use is prevalent among college students, including those who are in committed romantic relationships. Individuals’ perceptions of their partner’s alcohol use may have significant effects on how they view both their partner and their relationship. The current study examines the effect of one’s perception of one’s romantic partner’s drinking as problematic on one’s relationship satisfaction and commitment, and whether this varies as a function of one’s partner’s drinking. Both partners in romantic heterosexual relationships (N = 78 dyads) completed an online survey assessing alcohol use and problems, relationship satisfaction and commitment, and the perception that their partner’s drinking was problematic. Analyses using Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIMs) revealed a partner-moderated actor interaction, such that partner self-reported drinking significantly moderated the association between the actor’s perception of their partner’s drinking as problematic and actor relationship outcomes. Results indicated that when partners drank at higher levels, perceiving their drinking as problematic did not have an effect. These individuals were less satisfied regardless of their perceptions. However, when partners drank at lower levels, perceiving their drinking as problematic was negatively associated with relationship outcomes. Furthermore, for alcohol consumption, three-way interactions with gender emerged, indicating that this effect was stronger for males. Results extend the literature on drinking in relationships and on interpersonal perception. Implications and future directions are discussed. PMID:23438240

Maladaptive cognitions predict changes in problematic gaming in highly-engaged adults: A 12-month longitudinal study.

PubMed

Forrest, Cameron J; King, Daniel L; Delfabbro, Paul H

2017-02-01

Understanding the role of maladaptive gaming-related cognitions may assist in screening and interventions for problematic gaming, including Internet gaming disorder (IGD). Cognitive-behavioural interventions that target specific cognitions related to gaming may be more effective than more general approaches that focus only on preoccupation with games. Although past research has identified cross-sectional associations between maladaptive cognitions and problematic gaming, it is less clear whether these cognitions can predict future changes in problematic gaming behaviour. The present study employed an 18-item measure of gaming cognition, assessing perfectionism, cognitive salience, regret, and behavioural salience, to investigate potential changes in problematic gaming over a 12-month period. The sample included 465 Australian adults (84% male, M age =26.2years). It was found that individuals who became problematic gamers over 12months had higher baseline scores on perfectionism (d=1.20), cognitive salience (d=0.74) and regret (d=0.69) than those who remained non-problematic gamers. Problematic gamers who became non-problematic gamers had lower baseline perfectionism scores (d=0.62) than those who remained problematic gamers. Cognitive change accounted for an additional 28% of variance in problematic gaming scores beyond gender, age, and frequency of gaming. These findings suggest that maladaptive gaming-related cognitions could be screened in clinical trials to aid in case formulation and inform decisions on needed interventions to deliver optimal client outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of an Anger Intervention for Military Members with PTSD: A Clinical Case Series.

PubMed

Cash, Richard; Varker, Tracey; McHugh, Tony; Metcalf, Olivia; Howard, Alexandra; Lloyd, Delyth; Costello, Jacqueline; Said, David; Forbes, David

2018-03-23

Problematic anger is a significant clinical issue in military personnel, and is further complicated by comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite increasing numbers of military personnel returning from deployment with anger and aggression difficulties, the treatment of problematic anger has received scant attention. There are currently no interventions that directly target problematic anger in the context of military-related PTSD. The aim of this case series is to examine the effectiveness of an intervention specifically developed for treating problematic anger in current serving military personnel with comorbid PTSD. Eight Australian Defence Force Army personnel with problematic anger and comorbid PTSD received a manualized 12-session cognitive behaviorally based anger intervention, delivered one-to-one by Australian Defence Force mental health clinicians. Standardized measures of anger, PTSD, depression, and anxiety were administered pre- and post-treatment. The initial mean severity scores for anger indicated a high degree of pre-treatment problematic anger. Anger scores reduced significantly from pre to post-treatment (d = 1.56), with 88% of participants exhibiting meaningful reduction in anger scores. PTSD symptoms also reduced significantly (d= 0.96), with 63% of participants experiencing a clinically meaningful reduction in PTSD scores. All of those who took part in the therapy completed all therapy sessions. This brief report provides preliminary evidence that an intervention for problematic anger not only significantly reduces anger levels in military personnel, but can also significantly reduce PTSD symptoms. Given that anger can interfere with PTSD treatment outcomes, prioritizing anger treatment may improve the effectiveness of PTSD interventions.

Problematic Drinking, Impulsivity, and Physical IPV Perpetration: A Dyadic Analysis

PubMed Central

Leone, Ruschelle M.; Crane, Cory A.; Parrott, Dominic J.; Eckhardt, Christopher I.

2016-01-01

Alcohol use and impulsivity are two known risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV). The current study examined the independent and interactive effects of problematic drinking and five facets of impulsivity (i.e., negative urgency, positive urgency, sensation seeking, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance) on perpetration of physical IPV within a dyadic framework. Participants were 289 heavy drinking heterosexual couples (total N = 578) with a recent history of psychological and/or physical IPV recruited from two metropolitan U.S. cities. Parallel multilevel Actor Partner Interdependence Models were utilized and demonstrated Actor problematic drinking, negative urgency, and lack of perseverance were associated with physical IPV. Findings also revealed associations between Partner problematic drinking and physical IPV as well as significant Partner Problematic Drinking x Actor Impulsivity (Negative Urgency and Positive Urgency) interaction effects on physical IPV. Findings highlight the importance of examining IPV within a dyadic framework and are interpreted using the I3 meta-theoretical model. PMID:26828640

Neuroticism and Negative Urgency in Problematic Alcohol Use: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Papachristou, Harilaos; Nederkoorn, Chantal; Jansen, Anita

2016-09-18

Problematic alcohol use is common among university students and personality might account for individual differences in developing this maladaptive behavior. Two personality dispositions implicated in problematic alcohol use are negative urgency and neuroticism. However, the relationship of these traits to problematic alcohol use is unclear. In college students high neuroticism is not directly linked to problematic alcohol use. On the other hand, the experience of emotional distress in people high in neuroticism could impair the capacity for impulse control. Loss of impulse control under conditions of negative affect could trigger impulsive drinking and problematic alcohol use in the long run. We investigated this idea by testing whether negative urgency mediates the relationship of neuroticism to problematic alcohol use. Participants were 60 undergraduate university students who completed the Urgency subscale of the Urgency, (lack of) Premeditation, (lack of) Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, and Positive Urgency Impulsive Behaviour scale (UPPS-P), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and the Neuroticism subscale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised short form (EPQ-RSS). The results confirmed our hypothesis as we found an indirect effect of negative urgency on the relationship between neuroticism and problematic alcohol use. It appears that it is not distress but the tendency to act rashly when distressed that is important in developing problematic alcohol drinking in university students.

Horseradish-Peroxidase-Catalyzed Tyrosine Click Reaction.

PubMed

Sato, Shinichi; Nakamura, Kosuke; Nakamura, Hiroyuki

2017-03-02

The efficiency of protein chemical modification on tyrosine residues with N-methylluminol derivatives was drastically improved by using horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In the previous method, based on the use of hemin and H 2 O 2 , oxidative side reactions such as cysteine oxidation were problematic for functionalization of proteins selectively on tyrosine residues. Oxidative activation of N-methylluminol derivatives with a minimum amount of H 2 O 2 prevented the occurrence of oxidative side reactions under HRP-catalyzed conditions. As probes for HRP-catalyzed protein modification, N-methylluminol derivatives showed much higher efficiency than tyramide without inducing oligomerization of probe molecules. Tyrosine modification also proceeded in the presence of β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH, H 2 O 2 -free conditions). © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Allylic ionic liquid electrolyte-assisted electrochemical surface passivation of LiCoO2 for advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries.

PubMed

Mun, Junyoung; Yim, Taeeun; Park, Jang Hoon; Ryu, Ji Heon; Lee, Sang Young; Kim, Young Gyu; Oh, Seung M

2014-08-29

Room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) electrolytes have attracted much attention for use in advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries (LIB) owing to their nonvolatility, high conductivity, and great thermal stability. However, LIBs containing RTIL-electrolytes exhibit poor cyclability because electrochemical side reactions cause problematic surface failures of the cathode. Here, we demonstrate that a thin, homogeneous surface film, which is electrochemically generated on LiCoO2 from an RTIL-electrolyte containing an unsaturated substituent on the cation (1-allyl-1-methylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, AMPip-TFSI), can avert undesired side reactions. The derived surface film comprised of a high amount of organic species from the RTIL cations homogenously covered LiCoO2 with a <25 nm layer and helped suppress unfavorable thermal reactions as well as electrochemical side reactions. The superior performance of the cell containing the AMPip-TFSI electrolyte was further elucidated by surface, electrochemical, and thermal analyses.

Allylic ionic liquid electrolyte-assisted electrochemical surface passivation of LiCoO2 for advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mun, Junyoung; Yim, Taeeun; Park, Jang Hoon; Ryu, Ji Heon; Lee, Sang Young; Kim, Young Gyu; Oh, Seung M.

2014-08-01

Room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) electrolytes have attracted much attention for use in advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries (LIB) owing to their nonvolatility, high conductivity, and great thermal stability. However, LIBs containing RTIL-electrolytes exhibit poor cyclability because electrochemical side reactions cause problematic surface failures of the cathode. Here, we demonstrate that a thin, homogeneous surface film, which is electrochemically generated on LiCoO2 from an RTIL-electrolyte containing an unsaturated substituent on the cation (1-allyl-1-methylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, AMPip-TFSI), can avert undesired side reactions. The derived surface film comprised of a high amount of organic species from the RTIL cations homogenously covered LiCoO2 with a <25 nm layer and helped suppress unfavorable thermal reactions as well as electrochemical side reactions. The superior performance of the cell containing the AMPip-TFSI electrolyte was further elucidated by surface, electrochemical, and thermal analyses.

Allylic ionic liquid electrolyte-assisted electrochemical surface passivation of LiCoO2 for advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries

PubMed Central

Mun, Junyoung; Yim, Taeeun; Park, Jang Hoon; Ryu, Ji Heon; Lee, Sang Young; Kim, Young Gyu; Oh, Seung M.

2014-01-01

Room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) electrolytes have attracted much attention for use in advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries (LIB) owing to their nonvolatility, high conductivity, and great thermal stability. However, LIBs containing RTIL-electrolytes exhibit poor cyclability because electrochemical side reactions cause problematic surface failures of the cathode. Here, we demonstrate that a thin, homogeneous surface film, which is electrochemically generated on LiCoO2 from an RTIL-electrolyte containing an unsaturated substituent on the cation (1-allyl-1-methylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, AMPip-TFSI), can avert undesired side reactions. The derived surface film comprised of a high amount of organic species from the RTIL cations homogenously covered LiCoO2 with a <25 nm layer and helped suppress unfavorable thermal reactions as well as electrochemical side reactions. The superior performance of the cell containing the AMPip-TFSI electrolyte was further elucidated by surface, electrochemical, and thermal analyses. PMID:25168309

Predicting later problematic cannabis use from psychopathological symptoms during childhood and adolescence: Results of a 25-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Zohsel, Katrin; Baldus, Christiane; Schmidt, Martin H; Esser, Günter; Banaschewski, Tobias; Thomasius, Rainer; Laucht, Manfred

2016-06-01

Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal substance among adolescents and young adults. Problematic cannabis use is often associated with comorbid psychopathological problems. The purpose of the current study was to elucidate the underlying developmental processes connecting externalizing and internalizing psychopathology in childhood and adolescence with problematic cannabis use in young adulthood. Data were drawn from the Mannheim Study of Children at Risk, an ongoing epidemiological cohort study from birth to adulthood. For n=307 participants, symptom scores of conduct/oppositional defiant disorder, attention problems, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and internalizing disorders were available for the periods of childhood (4.5-11 years) and adolescence (15 years). At age 25 years, problematic cannabis use was assessed via clinical interview and a self-rating questionnaire. At age 25 years, problematic cannabis use was identified in n=28 participants (9.1%). Childhood conduct/oppositional behavior problems were predictive of problematic cannabis use during young adulthood when comorbid symptoms were controlled for. No such effect was found for childhood attention, hyperactivity/impulsivity or internalizing problems. With respect to psychopathological symptoms during adolescence, only attention problems were significantly related to later problematic cannabis use when controlling for comorbidity. The current study highlights the role of conduct/oppositional behavior problems during childhood and attention problems during adolescence in later problematic cannabis use. It sheds more light on the developmental sequence of childhood and adolescence psychopathology and young adult cannabis use, which is a prerequisite for effective prevention approaches. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Latent-level relations between DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters and problematic smartphone use.

PubMed

Contractor, Ateka A; Frankfurt, Sheila B; Weiss, Nicole H; Elhai, Jon D

2017-07-01

Common mental health consequences following the experience of potentially traumatic events include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and addictive behaviors. Problematic smartphone use is a newer manifestation of addictive behaviors. People with anxiety severity (such as PTSD) may be at risk for problematic smartphone use as a means of coping with their symptoms. Unique to our knowledge, we assessed relations between PTSD symptom clusters and problematic smartphone use. Participants ( N = 347), recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk), completed measures of PTSD and smartphone addiction. Results of the Wald tests of parameter constraints indicated that problematic smartphone use was more related to PTSD's negative alterations in cognitions and mood (NACM) than to PTSD's avoidance factor, Wald χ 2 (1, N = 347) = 12.51, p = 0.0004; and more to PTSD's arousal compared to PTSD's avoidance factor, Wald χ 2 (1, N = 347) = 14.89, p = 0.0001. Results indicate that problematic smartphone use is most associated with negative affect and arousal among trauma-exposed individuals. Implications include the need to clinically assess problematic smartphone use among trauma-exposed individuals presenting with higher NACM and arousal severity; and targeting NACM and arousal symptoms to mitigate the effects of problematic smartphone use.

[Levonorgestrel contraceptive implants. Facts and controversies of a current contraceptive method].

PubMed

Vasconcelos-Allende, M; Unda-Ugalde, J M

1996-11-01

Research in the world of birth control technology advance daily. In México we now count with one of the best and most advanced contraceptive methods levonorgestrel implants. Even though it is far from being the ideal anticonceptive. It is in advantage over those known today in this country, because it does not content estrogens, it lasts up to 5 years, its reversible and it can be easily installed in a doctor's office. Some mexican doctors do not recognize yet this product or have been the victims of bad taste advertising. Learning about the method, its indications, contraindications, side effects, correct application and removal technics you can easily end the wrong ideas of it as a problematic device. The objective of the present work is to inform to the medical field of an excellent birth control alternative.

The Role of Habits in Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Usage: Predicting Excessive and Problematic Gaming Through Players' Sensitivity to Situational Cues.

PubMed

Lukavská, Kateřina; Hrabec, Ondřej; Chrz, Vladimír

2016-04-01

We examined the effect of habitual regulation of massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) playing on the problematic (addictive) usage and excessiveness of gaming (time that user spent playing weekly, per session, and in relation to his other leisure activities). We developed the approach to assess the strength of habitual regulation that was based on sensitivity to situational cues. We defined cues as real-life or in-game conditions (e.g., work to be done, activities with friends or family, need to relax, new game expansion) that usually promote gaming (proplay cues) or prevent it (contraplay cues). Using a sample of 377 MMORPG players, we analyzed relationships between variables through partial least squares path modeling. We found that proplay cues sensitivity significantly positively affected the excessiveness of gaming (playing time) as well as the occurrence of problematic usage symptoms. Conversely, contraplay cues sensitivity functioned as a protective factor from these conditions; significant negative effects were found for playing time and problematic usage. Playing time was confirmed to be a mediating variable, affected by cues sensitivity and at the same time affecting problematic usage symptoms. We obtained moderately strong coefficients of determination for both endogenous variables (R(2) = 0.28 for playing time; R(2) = 0.31 for problematic usage) suggesting that the proposed variables possess good explanatory power. Based on our results, we argue that the strength of habitual regulation within MMORPG usage has both positive and negative effects on excessive and problematic usage, which is a new and important finding within the area of Internet gaming addiction.

The Effects of Meal Schedule and Quantity on Problematic Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wacker, David P.; And Others

1996-01-01

Two case examples (a toddler with severe developmental delays and a 7-year old with severe mental retardation) illustrating effects of meal schedule and food quantity on displays of problematic behavior are offered. Brief functional analyses of aberrant behavior provided useful information for interpreting distinct patterns of behavior. (DB)

Drinking motives as mediators of the impulsivity-substance use relation: pathways for negative urgency, lack of premeditation, and sensation seeking.

PubMed

Adams, Zachary W; Kaiser, Alison J; Lynam, Donald R; Charnigo, Richard J; Milich, Richard

2012-07-01

Trait impulsivity is a reliable, robust predictor of risky, problematic alcohol use. Mounting evidence supports a multidimensional model of impulsivity, whereby several distinct traits serve as personality pathways to rash action. Different impulsivity-related traits may predispose individuals to drink for different reasons (e.g., to enhance pleasure, to cope with distress) and these different motives may, in turn, influence drinking behavior. Previous findings support such a mediational model for two well-studied traits: sensation seeking and lack of premeditation. This study addresses other impulsivity-related traits, including negative urgency. College students (N=432) completed questionnaires assessing personality, drinking motives, and multiple indicators of problematic drinking. Negative urgency, sensation seeking, and lack of premeditation were all significantly related to problematic drinking. When drinking motives were included in the model, direct effects for sensation seeking and lack of premeditation remained significant, and indirect effects of sensation seeking and lack of premeditation on problematic drinking were observed through enhancement motives. A distinct pathway was observed for negative urgency. Negative urgency bore a significant total effect on problematic drinking through both coping and enhancement motives. This study highlights unique motivational pathways through which different impulsive traits may operate, suggesting that interventions aimed at preventing or reducing problematic drinking should be tailored to individuals' personalities. For instance, individuals high in negative urgency may benefit from learning healthier strategies for coping with distress. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drinking Motives as Mediators of the Impulsivity-Substance Use Relation: Pathways for Negative Urgency, Lack of Premeditation, and Sensation Seeking

PubMed Central

Adams, Zachary W.; Kaiser, Alison J.; Lynam, Donald R.; Charnigo, Richard J.; Milich, Richard

2012-01-01

Trait impulsivity is a reliable, robust predictor of risky, problematic alcohol use. Mounting evidence supports a multidimensional model of impulsivity, whereby several distinct traits serve as personality pathways to rash action. Different impulsivity-related traits may predispose individuals to drink for different reasons (e.g., to enhance pleasure, to cope with distress) and these different motives may, in turn, influence drinking behavior. Previous findings support such a mediational model for two well-studied traits: sensation seeking and lack of premeditation. This study addresses other impulsivity-related traits, including negative urgency. College students (N = 432) completed questionnaires assessing personality, drinking motives, and multiple indicators of problematic drinking. Negative urgency, sensation seeking, and lack of premeditation were all significantly related to problematic drinking. When drinking motives were included in the model, direct effects for sensation seeking and lack of premeditation remained significant, and indirect effects of sensation seeking and lack of premeditation on problematic drinking were observed through enhancement motives. A distinct pathway was observed for negative urgency. Negative urgency bore a significant total effect on problematic drinking through both coping and enhancement motives. This study highlights unique motivational pathways through which different impulsive traits may operate, suggesting that interventions aimed at preventing or reducing problematic drinking should be tailored to individuals' personalities. For instance, individuals high in negative urgency may benefit from learning healthier strategies for coping with distress. PMID:22472524

Video game use and cognitive performance: does it vary with the presence of problematic video game use?

PubMed

Collins, Emily; Freeman, Jonathan

2014-03-01

Action video game players have been found to outperform nonplayers on a variety of cognitive tasks. However, several failures to replicate these video game player advantages have indicated that this relationship may not be straightforward. Moreover, despite the discovery that problematic video game players do not appear to demonstrate the same superior performance as nonproblematic video game players in relation to multiple object tracking paradigms, this has not been investigated for other tasks. Consequently, this study compared gamers and nongamers in task switching ability, visual short-term memory, mental rotation, enumeration, and flanker interference, as well as investigated the influence of self-reported problematic video game use. A total of 66 participants completed the experiment, 26 of whom played action video games, including 20 problematic players. The results revealed no significant effect of playing action video games, nor any influence of problematic video game play. This indicates that the previously reported cognitive advantages in video game players may be restricted to specific task features or samples. Furthermore, problematic video game play may not have a detrimental effect on cognitive performance, although this is difficult to ascertain considering the lack of video game player advantage. More research is therefore sorely needed.

Problematic alcohol use and suicidal ideation among firefighters: A multi-study investigation of the explanatory roles of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness.

PubMed

Gallyer, Austin J; Dougherty, Sean P; Gai, Anna R; Stanley, Ian H; Hom, Melanie A; Rogers, Megan L; Duffy, Mary E; Buchman-Schmitt, Jennifer M; Spencer-Thomas, Sally; Joiner, Thomas E

2018-05-31

Firefighters are at increased risk for both problematic alcohol use and suicidality. Research has found that problematic alcohol use is related to suicidality among this population; however, limited data exist regarding what might account for this association. The present two-study investigation (1) examined the association between suicidality and problematic alcohol use among two large samples of firefighters and (2) tested whether interpersonal theory of suicide constructs-perceived burdensomeness (PB) and thwarted belongingness (TB)-serve as indirect indicators of this relationship. Participants in Study 1 were 944 U.S. firefighters (12.5% female); participants in Study 2 were 241 U.S. women firefighters. Participants completed the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and the Depressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale (Study 1) or the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview-Short Form (Study 2). Bias-corrected bootstrap indirect effects path analyses were utilized. In Study 1, more problematic alcohol use was significantly associated with more severe career suicidal ideation via PB but not TB. In Study 2, problematic alcohol use was associated with career suicidal ideation via both PB and TB. PB seems to account for the relationship between problematic alcohol use and career suicidal ideation among male and female firefighters. Limitations include use of a cross-sectional design, use of retrospective measures of suicidal ideation, and our findings derived from subsamples of two existing datasets. Findings suggest that PB and TB may explain the relationship between problematic alcohol use and suicidal ideation, but that this effect is discrepant based on gender. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Problematic Drinking Mediates the Association Between Urgency and Intimate Partner Aggression During Acute Intoxication.

PubMed

Subramani, Olivia S; Parrott, Dominic J; Eckhardt, Christopher I

2017-09-01

This study tested a moderated-mediation model whereby dimensions of impulsivity (i.e., negative urgency, positive urgency, sensation seeking, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance) differentially predict perpetration of physical intimate partner aggression (IPA) through problematic drinking in intoxicated and nonintoxicated heavy drinkers. Participants were 249 heavy drinkers (148 men and 101 women) with a recent history of psychological and/or physical IPA perpetration toward their current partner recruited from 2 metropolitan U.S. cities. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed impulsivity and problematic drinking, consumed an Alcohol or No-Alcohol Control beverage, and completed a shock-based aggression task in which they were ostensibly provoked by their intimate partner. Results indicated an indirect effect of urgency on IPA through problematic drinking that was significantly more positive in intoxicated individuals. These findings implicate a tendency to act rashly in response to emotions as the specific dimension of impulsivity associated with problematic drinking, which in turn exacerbates risk for IPA perpetration. Results also suggest acute effects of alcohol are key in facilitating this mechanism. Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Latent-level relations between DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters and problematic smartphone use

PubMed Central

Contractor, Ateka A.; Frankfurt, Sheila B.; Weiss, Nicole H.; Elhai, Jon D.

2017-01-01

Common mental health consequences following the experience of potentially traumatic events include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and addictive behaviors. Problematic smartphone use is a newer manifestation of addictive behaviors. People with anxiety severity (such as PTSD) may be at risk for problematic smartphone use as a means of coping with their symptoms. Unique to our knowledge, we assessed relations between PTSD symptom clusters and problematic smartphone use. Participants (N = 347), recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk), completed measures of PTSD and smartphone addiction. Results of the Wald tests of parameter constraints indicated that problematic smartphone use was more related to PTSD’s negative alterations in cognitions and mood (NACM) than to PTSD’s avoidance factor, Wald χ2(1, N = 347) = 12.51, p = 0.0004; and more to PTSD’s arousal compared to PTSD’s avoidance factor, Wald χ2(1, N = 347) = 14.89, p = 0.0001. Results indicate that problematic smartphone use is most associated with negative affect and arousal among trauma-exposed individuals. Implications include the need to clinically assess problematic smartphone use among trauma-exposed individuals presenting with higher NACM and arousal severity; and targeting NACM and arousal symptoms to mitigate the effects of problematic smartphone use. PMID:28993716

Tracking medication changes to assess outcomes in comparative effectiveness research: A bipolar CHOICE study.

PubMed

Reilly-Harrington, Noreen A; Sylvia, Louisa G; Rabideau, Dustin J; Gold, Alexandra K; Deckersbach, Thilo; Bowden, Charles L; Bobo, William V; Singh, Vivek; Calabrese, Joseph R; Shelton, Richard C; Friedman, Edward S; Thase, Michael E; Kamali, Masoud; Tohen, Mauricio; McInnis, Melvin G; McElroy, Susan L; Ketter, Terence A; Kocsis, James H; Kinrys, Gustavo; Nierenberg, Andrew A

2016-11-15

Comparative effectiveness research uses multiple tools, but lacks outcome measures to assess large electronic medical records and claims data. Aggregate changes in medications in response to clinical need may serve as a surrogate outcome measure. We developed the Medication Recommendation Tracking Form (MRTF) to record the frequency, types, and reasons for medication adjustments in order to calculate Necessary Clinical Adjustments (NCAs), medication adjustments to reduce symptoms, maximize treatment response, or address problematic side effects. The MRTF was completed at every visit for 482 adult patients in Bipolar CHOICE, a 6-month randomized comparative effectiveness trial. Responders had significantly fewer NCAs compared to non-responders. NCAs predicted subsequent response status such that every additional NCA during the previous visit decreased a patient's odds of response by approximately 30%. Patients with more severe symptoms had a greater number of NCAs at the subsequent visit. Patients with a comorbid anxiety disorder demonstrated a significantly higher rate of NCAs per month than those without a comorbid anxiety disorder. Patients with greater frequency, intensity, and interference of side effects had higher rates of NCAs. Participants with fewer NCAs reported a higher quality of life and decreased functional impairment. The MRTF has not been examined in community clinic settings and did not predict response more efficiently than the Clinical Global Impression-Bipolar Version (CGI-BP). The MRTF is a feasible proxy of clinical outcome, with implications for clinical training and decision-making. Analyses of big data could use changes in medications as a surrogate outcome measure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Idea of Beauty and Its Biases: Critical Notes on the Aesthetics of Plastic Surgery.

PubMed

Di Stefano, Nicola

2017-10-01

Two biases affect the idea of beauty often embodied in aesthetic surgery. The first one is that the living body is the sum of different parts; the second one claims that beauty results from the sum of beautiful elements. Taken together, these 2 biases explain most of the aesthetic surgery procedures, in which a localized improvement is supposed to impact on the whole body image. In this article, I put into question these 2 problematic assumptions, showing that Western and Eastern aesthetics, on one side, and philosophical reflections, on the other side, support a different conception of beauty. In particular, an alternative idea that opens to authenticity and imperfection and focuses on the living body rather than on the mere anatomical surface is proposed here as a more adequate concept of beauty for aesthetic surgery.

A novel management of streptococcal pharyngotonsillar infections by laser-activated silver nanoparticles and methylene blue conjugate, in vitro study.

PubMed

Kassab, Ahmed; Dabous, Ola; Morsy, Mona

2017-09-01

Species of Streptococcus are classified based on their hemolytic properties into alpha and beta types. And, since antimicrobial drug resistance is an increasingly problematic issue, the efforts to develop modalities that would overcome this obstacle and avoid antibiotic side effects is an ongoing challenge. 20 patients from both sexes were selected. The isolated organisms were identified according to standard laboratory methods. Bacterial Cultures were subjected to the low-level diode laser (660 nm), methylene blue (MB) as a photosensitizing agent and for silver nanoparticles. All the experimental groups showed statistically lower values of CFU/ml than the positive control group. The photoactivated MB, silver nanoparticles conjugate showed the maximum inhibitory effect on Streptococci, which opens a gate to further investigation of such a promising protocol to establish a safe and efficient method of management for resistant cases of streptococcal tonsillar infections. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of online cognitive treatment for problematic anger: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Howie, Amanda J; Malouff, John M

2014-01-01

Problematic anger, which is common, has been associated with a wide range of negative interpersonal and intrapersonal consequences, including violent behaviour, relationship damage, health problems and low self-esteem. This article reports the results of the first randomized controlled trial of brief online cognitive treatment for anger. The sample included 75 adults who were randomly assigned to cognitive treatment or a waiting list control. The analyses with the 59 participants who completed the post-intervention assessment at four weeks after the beginning of the intervention showed that individuals who received the intervention reported significantly lower anger levels than the control group at post-assessment. The treatment group showed a substantial decrease in anger from pre to post. The results suggest that brief online cognitive treatment can be effective for reducing problematic anger in adults. These findings provide an initial support for the development of internet-based cognitive treatment for problematic anger.

Physics of forebody flow control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Font, Gabriel I.

1993-01-01

Performance in the high angle of attack regime is required by many different types of aircraft. Military aircraft, such as fighters, utilize flight in this regime to improve maneuverability. Civilian aircraft, such as supersonic or hypersonic transports, will also need to operate in this regime during take off and landing, due to their small highly swept wings. Flight at high angles of attack is problematic due to the vortices being created on the nose of the aircraft. The vortices tend to become asymmetric and produce side forces. At the same time, the rudders are less effective because they are becoming immersed in the flow separating from the wings and fuselage. Consequently, the side force produced by the vortices on the nose tend to destabilize the aircraft. This situation may be corrected through the use of a forebody flow control system such as tangential slot blowing. In this concept, a jet is blown from the nose in an effort to alter the flow field around the nose and diminish the destabilizing side force. Alternately, the jet may be used to create a side force which could be used to augment the rudders. This would allow the size of the rudders to be decreased which would, in turn, diminish the cruise drag. Therefore, the use of a tangential slot blowing system has the potential for improving both the maneuver performance and the cruise performance of an aircraft. The present study was conducted to explore the physics of forebody flow control. The study consisted of two major thrusts: (1) exploration of forebody flow control with tangential slot blowing; (2) investigation of flow and field response to a general perturbation.

Problematic internet use is associated with structural alterations in the brain reward system in females.

PubMed

Altbäcker, Anna; Plózer, Enikő; Darnai, Gergely; Perlaki, Gábor; Horváth, Réka; Orsi, Gergely; Nagy, Szilvia Anett; Bogner, Péter; Schwarcz, Attila; Kovács, Norbert; Komoly, Sámuel; Clemens, Zsófia; Janszky, József

2016-12-01

Neuroimaging findings suggest that excessive Internet use shows functional and structural brain changes similar to substance addiction. Even though it is still under debate whether there are gender differences in case of problematic use, previous studies by-passed this question by focusing on males only or by using gender matched approach without controlling for potential gender effects. We designed our study to find out whether there are structural correlates in the brain reward system of problematic Internet use in habitual Internet user females. T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance (MR) images were collected in 82 healthy habitual Internet user females. Structural brain measures were investigated using both automated MR volumetry and voxel based morphometry (VBM). Self-reported measures of problematic Internet use and hours spent online were also assessed. According to MR volumetry, problematic Internet use was associated with increased grey matter volume of bilateral putamen and right nucleus accumbens while decreased grey matter volume of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Similarly, VBM analysis revealed a significant negative association between the absolute amount of grey matter OFC and problematic Internet use. Our findings suggest structural brain alterations in the reward system usually related to addictions are present in problematic Internet use.

Tracking Effects of Problematic Social Networking on Adolescent Psychopathology: The Mediating Role of Sleep Disruptions.

PubMed

Vernon, Lynette; Modecki, Kathryn L; Barber, Bonnie L

2017-01-01

Concerns are growing about adolescents' problematic social networking and possible links to depressed mood and externalizing behavior. Yet there remains little understanding of underlying processes that may account for these associations, including the mediating role of sleep disruption. This study tests this putative mediating process and examines change in problematic social networking investment and disrupted sleep, in relation to change in depressed mood and externalizing behavior. A sample of 874 students (41% male; 57.2% Caucasian; baseline M age = 14.4 years) from 27 high schools were surveyed. Participants' problematic social networking, sleep disruption, and psychopathology (depressed mood, externalizing behaviors) were measured annually over 3 years. Longitudinal mediation was tested using latent trajectories of problematic social networking use, sleep disruption, and psychopathology. Both problematic social networking and sleep disruption underwent positive linear growth over time. Adolescents who increasingly invested in social networking reported increased depressed mood, with around 53% of this association explained by the indirect effect of increased sleep disruptions. Further, adolescents who increasingly invested in social networking also reported increased externalizing behavior; some of this relation was explained (13%) via increased sleep disruptions. However an alternative model in which increased externalizing was associated with increased social networking, mediated by sleep disruptions, indicated a reciprocal relation of similar magnitude. It is important for parents, teachers, and psychologists to minimize the negative effects of social networking on adolescents' psychopathology. Interventions should potentially target promoting healthy sleep habits through reductions in social networking investment and rescheduling usage away from bedtime.

Management of sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy.

PubMed

Videnovic, Aleksandar

2017-05-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are disorders associated with α synuclein-related neurodegeneration. Nonmotor symptoms are common hallmarks of these disorders, and disturbances of the sleep-wake cycle are among the most common nonmotor symptoms. It is only recently that sleep disturbances have received the attention of the medical and research community. Significant progress has been made in understanding the pathophysiology of sleep and wake disruption in alphasynucleinopathies during the past few decades. Despite these advancements, treatment options are limited and frequently associated with problematic side effects. Further studies that center on the development of novel treatment approaches are very much needed. In this article, the author discusses the current state of the management of disturbed sleep and alertness in PD and MSA. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Arbitrary Inequality in Reputation Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frey, Vincenz; van de Rijt, Arnout

2016-12-01

Trust is an essential condition for exchange. Large societies must substitute the trust traditionally provided through kinship and sanctions in small groups to make exchange possible. The rise of internet-supported reputation systems has been celebrated for providing trust at a global scale, enabling the massive volumes of transactions between distant strangers that are characteristic of modern human societies. Here we problematize an overlooked side-effect of reputation systems: Equally trustworthy individuals may realize highly unequal exchange volumes. We report the results of a laboratory experiment that shows emergent differentiation between ex ante equivalent individuals when information on performance in past exchanges is shared. This arbitrary inequality results from cumulative advantage in the reputation-building process: Random initial distinctions grow as parties of good repute are chosen over those lacking a reputation. We conjecture that reputation systems produce artificial concentration in a wide range of markets and leave superior but untried exchange alternatives unexploited.

Sickle cell disease and HIV: a case highlighting management challenges for children in a resource-limited setting.

PubMed

Odera, Esther Brenda; Kwobah, Charles; Stone, Geren; Some, Faraj; Vreeman, Rachel Christine

2014-01-01

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder resulting from a mutation in the hemoglobin (Hb) gene. Sickle cell disease results in chronic anemia and a variety of acute and chronic complications that can lead to early mortality. A child with both SCD and HIV presents a management challenge, particularly in a resource-limited setting. In this case report, we describe the case of an 18-month-old Kenyan girl with SCD and HIV who developed a severe hypersensitivity reaction to first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART). Selecting an appropriate drug substitute for a child with SCD and HIV presents a management dilemma when the available options have problematic side effect profiles or are inaccessible or inappropriate according to national guidelines. The challenges in choosing an appropriate ART regimen for a child with SCD and HIV highlight the lack of data and scarcity of treatment options for pediatric patients.

Arbitrary Inequality in Reputation Systems

PubMed Central

Frey, Vincenz; van de Rijt, Arnout

2016-01-01

Trust is an essential condition for exchange. Large societies must substitute the trust traditionally provided through kinship and sanctions in small groups to make exchange possible. The rise of internet-supported reputation systems has been celebrated for providing trust at a global scale, enabling the massive volumes of transactions between distant strangers that are characteristic of modern human societies. Here we problematize an overlooked side-effect of reputation systems: Equally trustworthy individuals may realize highly unequal exchange volumes. We report the results of a laboratory experiment that shows emergent differentiation between ex ante equivalent individuals when information on performance in past exchanges is shared. This arbitrary inequality results from cumulative advantage in the reputation-building process: Random initial distinctions grow as parties of good repute are chosen over those lacking a reputation. We conjecture that reputation systems produce artificial concentration in a wide range of markets and leave superior but untried exchange alternatives unexploited. PMID:27995957

Granisetron transdermal system improves refractory nausea and vomiting in gastroparesis.

PubMed

Simmons, Kellie; Parkman, Henry P

2014-06-01

Symptoms of gastroparesis include nausea and vomiting, which can markedly diminish quality of life. Nausea and vomiting can also make treatment with oral antiemetics problematic. Our aim was to determine whether treatment-resistant nausea and vomiting in patients with gastroparesis improve after granisetron transdermal patch (GTP) therapy. In an open-label pilot study, patients with gastroparesis and symptoms of nausea and vomiting refractory to conventional treatment were treated with GTP. After 2 weeks, patients were asked to assess their therapeutic response using the Clinical Patient Grading Assessment Scale (CPGAS; +7 = completely better; 0 = no change; -7 = very considerably worse). Responders were defined as CPGAS score >0, non-responders as ≤0. Patients (n = 36) were treated with GTP. Of these 36 patients, one patient discontinued treatment due to the GTP not adhering to the skin. Of the remaining 35 patients, 18 improved, 15 remained the same, and two worsened. The average CPGAS score was +1.8 ± 0.4 (SEM) (P < 0.05 vs 0). Of the 18 patients with improvement, the average CPGAS score was +3.7 ± 0.3 (SEM), corresponding to "somewhat" to "moderately better" improvement in nausea/vomiting. Side effects occurred in nine patients: four developed constipation, three patients had skin rash, and two reported headaches. GTP was moderately effective in reducing refractory symptoms of nausea and/or vomiting from gastroparesis in 50% of patients. Mild side effects were reported by 25% of patients. GTP may be an effective treatment for nausea and vomiting in gastroparesis, and further study is warranted.

Extraction, identification, fractionation and isolation of phenolic compounds in plants with hepatoprotective effects.

PubMed

Pereira, Carla; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

2016-03-15

The liver is one of the most important organs of human body, being involved in several vital functions and regulation of physiological processes. Given its pivotal role in the excretion of waste metabolites and drugs detoxification, the liver is often subjected to oxidative stress that leads to lipid peroxidation and severe cellular damage. The conventional treatments of liver diseases such as cirrhosis, fatty liver and chronic hepatitis are frequently inadequate due to side effects caused by hepatotoxic chemical drugs. To overcome this problematic paradox, medicinal plants, owing to their natural richness in phenolic compounds, have been intensively exploited concerning their extracts and fraction composition in order to find bioactive compounds that could be isolated and applied in the treatment of liver ailments. The present review aimed to collect the main results of recent studies carried out in this field and systematize the information for a better understanding of the hepatoprotective capacity of medicinal plants in in vitro and in vivo systems. Generally, the assessed plant extracts revealed good hepatoprotective properties, justifying the fractionation and further isolation of phenolic compounds from different parts of the plant. Twenty-five phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, lignan compounds, phenolic acids and other phenolic compounds, have been isolated and identified, and proved to be effective in the prevention and/or treatment of chemically induced liver damage. In this perspective, the use of medicinal plant extracts, fractions and phenolic compounds seems to be a promising strategy to avoid side effects caused by hepatotoxic chemicals. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluating the (cost-)effectiveness of guided and unguided Internet-based self-help for problematic alcohol use in employees--a three arm randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Boß, Leif; Lehr, Dirk; Berking, Matthias; Riper, Heleen; Schaub, Michael Patrick; Ebert, David Daniel

2015-10-12

Problematic alcohol consumption is associated with a high disease burden for affected individuals and has a detrimental impact on companies and society due to direct and indirect health costs. This protocol describes a study design to evaluate the (cost)-effectiveness of a guided and unguided Internet-based self-help intervention for employees called "GET.ON Clever weniger trinken" (be smart - drink less) compared to a waiting list control group. In a three-arm randomized controlled trial, 528 German adults who are currently members of the workforce will be recruited by occupational health departments of major health insurance companies. Employees aged 18 and older displaying problematic drinking patterns (>21/14 drinks per week and an AUDIT score > 8/6 for men/women) will be randomly assigned to one of three following study conditions: 1. unguided web-based self-help for problematic drinking, 2. adherence-focused guided self-help, and 3. waiting list control. Self-report data will be collected at baseline (T1), 6 weeks (T2), and 6 months (T3) after randomization. The primary outcome will be the reduction of alcohol standard units during the 7 days prior to T2, using the Timeline Followback method. Cost-effectiveness analyses to determine direct and indirect costs will be conducted from the perspectives of employers and the society. Data will be analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis and per protocol. There is a need to identify effective low-threshold solutions to improve ill-health and reduce the negative economic consequences due to problematic alcohol drinking in workforces. If the proposed web-based intervention proves both to be efficacious and cost-effective, it may be a useful tool to increase utilization rates of interventions for problematic drinking in occupational settings. German Register of Clinical Studies (DRKS): DRKS00006105 , date of registration: 2014-07-07.

A model of adaptation for families of elderly patients with dementia: focusing on family resilience.

PubMed

Kim, Geun Myun; Lim, Ji Young; Kim, Eun Joo; Kim, Sang Suk

2017-07-19

We constructed a model explaining families' positive adaptation in chronic crisis situations such as the problematic behavior of elderly patients with dementia and attendant caregiving stress, based on the family resilience model. Our aim was to devise an adaptation model for families of elderly patients with dementia. A survey of problematic behavior in elderly patients with dementia, family stress, family resilience, and family adaptation was conducted with 292 consenting individuals. The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The communication process, family stress, and problematic behavior of elderly patients with dementia had direct and indirect effects on family adaptation, while belief system, organization pattern, and social support had indirect effects. Specifically, family stress and more severe problematic behavior by elderly patients with dementia negatively influenced family adaptation, while greater family resilience improved such adaptation. Interventions aiming to enhance family resilience, based on the results of this study, are required to help families with positive adaptation. Such family programs might involve practical support such as education on the characteristics of elderly persons with dementia and coping methods for their problematic behavior; forming self-help groups for families; revitalizing communication within families; and activating communication channels with experts.

Reevaluating Antidepressant Selection in Patients With Bruxism and Temporomandibular Joint Disorder.

PubMed

Rajan, Royce; Sun, Ye-Ming

2017-05-01

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a broad pain disorder that refers to several conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint of the jaw and the muscles of mastication. As with most pain disorders, a high prevalence of depression and anxiety is associated with TMD. Research has shown that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the first-line drug therapy for major depressive disorder, may not be suitable for TMD patients because SSRIs can induce teeth-grinding, otherwise known as bruxism. This is problematic because bruxism is believed to further exacerbate TMD. Therefore, the purpose of this literature review is to better understand the mechanism of SSRI-induced bruxism, as well as discuss alternative antidepressant options for treating depression and anxiety in patients with bruxism and TMD. Alternative classes of antidepressants reviewed include serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, atypical antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Findings indicate that dopamine agonists and buspirone are currently the most effective medications to treat the side effects of SSRI-induced bruxism, but results regarding the effectiveness of specific antidepressants that avoid bruxism altogether remain inconclusive.

Personal, social and environmental risk factors of problematic gambling among high school adolescents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Abdi, Tariku A; Ruiter, Robert A C; Adal, Tamirie A

2015-03-01

Understanding risk factors of problematic gambling is prerequisite to effective intervention design to alleviate the negative consequences of gambling. This study explored the personal, social and environmental risk factors of problematic gambling in four high schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, among students (N = 422) ranging from 12 to 21 years of age. Results from the cross-sectional survey showed that personal feelings (e.g., self-esteem, false perceptions about winning, drug abuse), social factors (e.g., peer influence, parental gambling), and environmental factors (e.g., accessibility of gambling venues, advertisements) were significant correlates of problematic gambling. The study also revealed that men were more at risk for severe problematic gambling than females. Among the identified types of gambling activities, the most prevalent ones were playing cards followed by flipping coin and pool gambling while internet gambling was among the least reported gambling activities. By identifying personal, social and environmental correlates of risky gambling activities this study provides evidence-based information for the systematic design and evaluation of educational interventions to prevent problematic gambling in young people.

Personal, Social and Environmental Risk Factors of Problematic Gambling Among High School Adolescents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Abdi, Tariku A; Ruiter, Robert A C; Adal, Tamirie A

2013-09-29

Understanding risk factors of problematic gambling is prerequisite to effective intervention design to alleviate the negative consequences of gambling. This study explored the personal, social and environmental risk factors of problematic gambling in four high schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, among students (N = 422) ranging from 12 to 21 years of age. Results from the cross-sectional survey showed that personal feelings (e.g., self-esteem, false perceptions about winning, drug abuse), social factors (e.g., peer influence, parental gambling), and environmental factors (e.g., accessibility of gambling venues, advertisements) were significant correlates of problematic gambling. The study also revealed that men were more at risk for severe problematic gambling than females. Among the identified types of gambling activities, the most prevalent ones were playing cards followed by flipping coin and pool gambling while internet gambling was among the least reported gambling activities. By identifying personal, social and environmental correlates of risky gambling activities this study provides evidence-based information for the systematic design and evaluation of educational interventions to prevent problematic gambling in young people.

Parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy.

PubMed

Davies, Andrew N; Thompson, Jo

2015-10-05

This is an updated version of the original Cochrane review on parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy (published in Issue 3, 2007). Salivary gland dysfunction is a predictable side effect of radiotherapy to the head and neck region. Pilocarpine hydrochloride (a choline ester) is licensed in many countries for the treatment of radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction. Other parasympathomimetics have also been used 'off licence' in the treatment of this condition. To determine the efficacy and tolerability of parasympathomimetic drugs in the treatment of radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction (specifically radiation-induced xerostomia). For this update, we ran searches of the Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL 2015, Issue 6), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL in July 2015. We checked the reference lists of retrieved articles for additional studies, contacted experts in the field for unpublished and ongoing trials, and contacted relevant pharmaceutical companies for unpublished and ongoing trials. The selection criteria for the review were: 1) randomised controlled trials; 2) people suffering from radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction; 3) people treated with parasympathomimetic drugs; and 4) assessable data available on primary outcome measure. The two review authors independently collected data from the full-text version of relevant papers including: 1) citation details; 2) participants; 3) interventions; 4) assessments; 5) outcomes (that is efficacy, tolerability); and 6) quality issues.Due to a lack of appropriate data, we were unable to perform a meta-analysis. In the original review, three studies, including a total of 298 participants, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. All three studies involved the use of pilocarpine hydrochloride. We have included no additional studies in the update of the review; we have excluded eight additional studies.The data suggest that pilocarpine hydrochloride is more effective than placebo and at least as effective as artificial saliva. The response rate was 42% to 51%. The time to response was up to 12 weeks. The overall side effect rate was high, and side effects were the main reason for withdrawal (6% to 15% of participants taking 5 mg three times a day had to withdraw). The side effects were usually the result of generalised parasympathomimetic stimulation (for example sweating, headaches, urinary frequency, vasodilatation). Response rates were not dose dependent, but side effect rates were dose dependent. There is limited evidence to support the use of pilocarpine hydrochloride in the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia. Currently, there is little evidence to support the use of other parasympathomimetic drugs in the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia. Available studies suggest that approximately half of patients will respond, but side effects can be problematic. The conclusions of the update are the same as the conclusions of the original review, since no new relevant studies have been published in the interim.

Disparities in access to medical care for individuals with vision impairment.

PubMed

Spencer, Christine; Frick, Kevin; Gower, Emily W; Kempen, John H; Wolff, Jennifer L

2009-01-01

We investigated the relationship between blindness and vision impairment and access to medical care. Pooled data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) years 2002-2004 were used to identify non-institutionalized individuals over the age of 40 with either self-reported blindness, vision impairment, or no vision impairment (n = 40,643). Differences in access to care measures by vision status were assessed, after adjusting for the complex sampling design of the MEPS, using either two-sided z-tests or two-sided t-tests. Individuals with blindness and vision impairment report having more access problems related to cost of care, availability of insurance coverage, transportation issues, and refusal of services by providers, although they do not report lower rates of having a usual source of care compared to those without vision impairment. The results suggest that access to care for individuals with blindness and vision impairment is problematic, for reasons that are amenable to policy interventions.

The Effect of U.S. University Students' Problematic Internet Use on Family Relationships: A Mixed-Methods Investigation.

PubMed

Snyder, Susan M; Li, Wen; O'Brien, Jennifer E; Howard, Matthew O

2015-01-01

This is the first study to investigate how college students in the U.S. with problematic Internet use perceive the role the Internet plays within their families of origin. The sample included 27 U.S. university students who self-identified as excessive Internet users. Participants reported spending more than 25 hours a week on the Internet on non-school or non-work-related activities and reported Internet-associated health and/or psychosocial problems. This study provides descriptive statistics from participants' completion of two problematic Internet use measures (i.e., Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale) and reports findings from four focus groups. Three themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) family connectedness, (2) family conflict/family disconnection, and (3) family Internet overuse. The findings of this study are a first step toward the design of effective interventions for problematic Internet use among U.S. college students and serve to inform clinical practice and health policy in this area.

The Effect of U.S. University Students' Problematic Internet Use on Family Relationships: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

PubMed Central

Snyder, Susan M.; Li, Wen; O’Brien, Jennifer E.; Howard, Matthew O.

2015-01-01

This is the first study to investigate how college students in the U.S. with problematic Internet use perceive the role the Internet plays within their families of origin. The sample included 27 U.S. university students who self-identified as excessive Internet users. Participants reported spending more than 25 hours a week on the Internet on non-school or non-work-related activities and reported Internet-associated health and/or psychosocial problems. This study provides descriptive statistics from participants' completion of two problematic Internet use measures (i.e., Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale) and reports findings from four focus groups. Three themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) family connectedness, (2) family conflict/family disconnection, and (3) family Internet overuse. The findings of this study are a first step toward the design of effective interventions for problematic Internet use among U.S. college students and serve to inform clinical practice and health policy in this area. PMID:26658077

Improved Modeling of Side-Chain–Base Interactions and Plasticity in Protein–DNA Interface Design

PubMed Central

Thyme, Summer B.; Baker, David; Bradley, Philip

2012-01-01

Combinatorial sequence optimization for protein design requires libraries of discrete side-chain conformations. The discreteness of these libraries is problematic, particularly for long, polar side chains, since favorable interactions can be missed. Previously, an approach to loop remodeling where protein backbone movement is directed by side-chain rotamers predicted to form interactions previously observed in native complexes (termed “motifs”) was described. Here, we show how such motif libraries can be incorporated into combinatorial sequence optimization protocols and improve native complex recapitulation. Guided by the motif rotamer searches, we made improvements to the underlying energy function, increasing recapitulation of native interactions. To further test the methods, we carried out a comprehensive experimental scan of amino acid preferences in the I-AniI protein–DNA interface and found that many positions tolerated multiple amino acids. This sequence plasticity is not observed in the computational results because of the fixed-backbone approximation of the model. We improved modeling of this diversity by introducing DNA flexibility and reducing the convergence of the simulated annealing algorithm that drives the design process. In addition to serving as a benchmark, this extensive experimental data set provides insight into the types of interactions essential to maintain the function of this potential gene therapy reagent. PMID:22426128

Improved modeling of side-chain--base interactions and plasticity in protein--DNA interface design.

PubMed

Thyme, Summer B; Baker, David; Bradley, Philip

2012-06-08

Combinatorial sequence optimization for protein design requires libraries of discrete side-chain conformations. The discreteness of these libraries is problematic, particularly for long, polar side chains, since favorable interactions can be missed. Previously, an approach to loop remodeling where protein backbone movement is directed by side-chain rotamers predicted to form interactions previously observed in native complexes (termed "motifs") was described. Here, we show how such motif libraries can be incorporated into combinatorial sequence optimization protocols and improve native complex recapitulation. Guided by the motif rotamer searches, we made improvements to the underlying energy function, increasing recapitulation of native interactions. To further test the methods, we carried out a comprehensive experimental scan of amino acid preferences in the I-AniI protein-DNA interface and found that many positions tolerated multiple amino acids. This sequence plasticity is not observed in the computational results because of the fixed-backbone approximation of the model. We improved modeling of this diversity by introducing DNA flexibility and reducing the convergence of the simulated annealing algorithm that drives the design process. In addition to serving as a benchmark, this extensive experimental data set provides insight into the types of interactions essential to maintain the function of this potential gene therapy reagent. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The influence of μ-opioid and noradrenaline reuptake inhibition in the modulation of pain responsive neurones in the central amygdala by tapentadol in rats with neuropathy

PubMed Central

Gonçalves, Leonor; Friend, Lauren V.; Dickenson, Anthony H.

2015-01-01

Treatments for neuropathic pain are either not fully effective or have problematic side effects. Combinations of drugs are often used. Tapentadol is a newer molecule that produces analgesia in various pain models through two inhibitory mechanisms, namely central μ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonism and noradrenaline reuptake inhibition. These two components interact synergistically, resulting in levels of analgesia similar to opioid analgesics such as oxycodone and morphine, but with more tolerable side effects. The right central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is critical for the lateral spinal ascending pain pathway, regulates descending pain pathways and is key in the emotional-affective components of pain. Few studies have investigated the pharmacology of limbic brain areas in pain models. Here we determined the actions of systemic tapentadol on right CeA neurones of animals with neuropathy and which component of tapentadol contributes to its effect. Neuronal responses to multimodal peripheral stimulation of animals with spinal nerve ligation or sham surgery were recorded before and after two doses of tapentadol. After the higher dose of tapentadol either naloxone or yohimbine were administered. Systemic tapentadol resulted in dose-dependent decrease in right CeA neuronal activity only in neuropathy. Both naloxone and yohimbine reversed this effect to an extent that was modality selective. The interactions of the components of tapentadol are not limited to the synergy between the MOR and α2-adrenoceptors seen at spinal levels, but are seen at this supraspinal site where suppression of responses may relate to the ability of the drug to alter affective components of pain. PMID:25576174

Evaluations of alcohol consequences moderate social anxiety risk for problematic drinking.

PubMed

Nitka, Danit; O'Connor, Roisin M

2017-02-01

The link between social anxiety (SA) and problematic drinking is complex; this seems predominantly true among young adults. Individuals high on SA are thought to be particularly sensitive to the negative effects of alcohol, which should deter them from drinking. Yet, some evidence suggests that those high on SA continue to drink despite experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences (NACs) (Morris, Stewart, & Ham, 2005). Although traditionally, researchers assume NACs are perceived as averse, emerging evidence suggests these are not categorically viewed as negative by undergraduates. The study goal was to test whether evaluations of NACs moderate the effect of SA on problematic drinking. It was hypothesized that high SA would predict elevated alcohol use and number of NACs experienced, but only for those who evaluate NACs as less negative. Undergraduate drinkers (N=130, 80 women) completed self-reports of social anxiety, NAC evaluations (ratings of how 'bad' experiencing each alcohol-related consequence would be), alcohol use, and NACs experienced. Regression analyses revealed that NAC evaluations moderated the effect of SA on number of NACs experienced, but not the effect of SA on weekly alcohol use. Simple slopes analyses showed that high SA was associated with elevated NACs experienced for those with weak negative NAC evaluations, controlling for alcohol use. These findings help explain the mixed SA-problematic drinking literature by identifying perceptions of NACs as an important moderator of SA risk for experiencing NACs. Moreover, clinical interventions aimed at reducing SA risk for undergraduate problematic drinking may benefit from targeting NAC evaluations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time Is Not on Our Side: How Radiology Practices Should Manage Customer Queues.

PubMed

Loving, Vilert A; Ellis, Richard L; Rippee, Robert; Steele, Joseph R; Schomer, Donald F; Shoemaker, Stowe

2017-11-01

As health care shifts toward patient-centered care, wait times have received increasing scrutiny as an important metric for patient satisfaction. Long queues form when radiology practices inefficiently service their customers, leading to customer dissatisfaction and a lower perception of value. This article describes a four-step framework for radiology practices to resolve problematic queues: (1) analyze factors contributing to queue formation; (2) improve processes to reduce service times; (3) reduce variability; (4) address the psychology of queues. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Colloidal drug delivery system: amplify the ocular delivery.

PubMed

Ali, Javed; Fazil, Mohd; Qumbar, Mohd; Khan, Nazia; Ali, Asgar

2016-01-01

The ocular perceivers are the most voluntarily accessible organs in terms of location in the body, yet drug distribution to these tissues is one of the most intriguing and challenging endeavors and problematic to the pharmaceutical scientist. The most of ocular diseases are treated with topical application of conventional formulation, i.e. solutions, suspensions and ointment. Typically on installation of these conventional formulations, only <5% of the applied dose penetrates the cornea and reaches intraocular tissues, while a major fraction of the instilled dose is wastage due to the presence of many ocular barriers like external barriers, rapid loss of the instilled solution from the precorneal area and nasolacrimal drainage system. Systemic absorption caused systemic side effects varying from mild to life-threatening events. The main objective of this review is to explore the role of colloidal delivery of drug to minimize the drawbacks associated with them. This review provides an insight into the various constraints associated with ocular drug delivery, summarizes recent findings and applications of colloidal delivery systems, i.e. nanoparticles, nanosuspensions, liposomes, niosomes, dendrimers and contact lenses containing nanoparticles have the capacity to distribute ocular drugs to categorical target sites and hold promise to revolutionize the therapy of many ocular perceiver diseases and minimized the circumscription of conventional delivery. Form the basis of literature review, it has been found that the novel delivery system have greater impact to maximize ocular drug absorption, and minimize systemic absorption and side effects.

Managing Sustainable Demand-side Infrastructure for Power System Ancillary Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkinson, Simon Christopher

Widespread access to renewable electricity is seen as a viable method to mitigate carbon emissions, although problematic are the issues associated with the integration of the generation systems within current power system configurations. Wind power plants are the primary large-scale renewable generation technology applied globally, but display considerable short-term supply variability that is difficult to predict. Power systems are currently not designed to operate under these conditions, and results in the need to increase operating reserve in order to guarantee stability. Often, operating conventional generation as reserve is both technically and economically inefficient, which can overshadow positive benefits associated with renewable energy exploitation. The purpose of this thesis is to introduce and assess an alternative method of enhancing power system operations through the control of electric loads. In particular, this thesis focuses on managing highly-distributed sustainable demand-side infrastructure, in the form of heat pumps, electric vehicles, and electrolyzers, as dispatchable short-term energy balancing resources. The main contribution of the thesis is an optimal control strategy capable of simultaneously balancing grid- and demand-side objectives. The viability of the load control strategy is assessed through model-based simulations that explicitly track end-use functionality of responsive devices within a power systems analysis typically implemented to observe the effects of integrated wind energy systems. Results indicate that there is great potential for the proposed method to displace the need for increased reserve capacity in systems considering a high penetration of wind energy, thereby allowing conventional generation to operate more efficiently and avoid the need for possible capacity expansions.

Social Support and Relationship Satisfaction as Moderators of the Stress-Mood-Alcohol Link Association in US Navy Members.

PubMed

Kelley, Michelle L; Milletich, Robert J; Hollis, Brittany F; Veprinsky, Anna; Robbins, Allison T; Snell, Alicia K

2017-02-01

The present study examined associations between stress and problematic alcohol use among US Navy members anticipating deployment, whether depressive symptoms mediated the stress-alcohol link, and whether social support and relationship satisfaction moderated associations between stress, depressive symptoms, and problematic alcohol use. Participants were 108 US Navy members assigned to an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer anticipating an 8-month deployment after Operational Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stress was indirectly related to problematic alcohol use such that higher levels of stress were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, which were further associated with higher levels of alcohol use. The indirect effect of stress to problematic alcohol use via depressive symptoms was tested at different levels of social support and relationship satisfaction. At higher levels of social support and relationship satisfaction, the association between stress and problematic alcohol use via depressive symptoms decreased. Results help identify targets for alcohol prevention efforts among current military members.

Internet gaming addiction, problematic use of the internet, and sleep problems: a systematic review.

PubMed

Lam, Lawrence T

2014-04-01

The effect of problematic use of the Internet on mental health, particularly depression among young people, has been established but without a probable model for the underlying mechanism. In this study, a model is presented to describe possible pathways for the linkage between Internet gaming addiction and depression possibly mediated by sleep problems. A systematic review was conducted to gather epidemiological evidence to support or refute the link between addictive Internet gaming, problematic Internet use, and sleep problems including insomnia and poor sleep quality. Seven studies were identified through a systematic literature search, of these three related to addictive Internet gaming and four on problematic Internet uses and sleep problems. Information was extracted and analysed systematically from each of the studies and tabulated as a summary. Results of the review suggest that additive gaming, particularly massively multiplayer online role-playing games MMORPG, might be associated with poorer quality of sleep. Results further indicated that problematic Internet use was associated with sleep problems including subjective insomnia and poor sleep quality.

Attributions of Stability, Control and Responsibility: How Parents of Children with Intellectual Disabilities View their Child's Problematic Behaviour and Its Causes.

PubMed

Jacobs, Myrthe; Woolfson, Lisa Marks; Hunter, Simon C

2016-01-01

Children with intellectual disabilities have high rates of behaviour problems. This study explored parents' causal beliefs and attributions for general problematic child behaviour in children with different aetiologies of intellectual disabilities. Ten parents of children with intellectual disabilities participated in interviews about their child's problematic behaviour. Thematic analysis using NVivo revealed that parents viewed their child's problematic behaviour not only as caused by the child's intellectual disabilities but also by other causes unrelated to the intellectual disabilities, as well as by aspects of the social environmental context. Some causes were viewed as stable and uncontrollable and others as unstable and controllable. In addition, parents showed a strong sense of responsibility for child behaviour. Parents of children with intellectual disabilities do not solely interpret their child's problematic behaviour through the intellectual disabilities but incorporate the environment and causes and attributions that are not related to the intellectual disabilities, which may help to promote more effective parenting. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Relaxation/Covert Rehearsal for Problematic Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fling, Sheila; McKenzie, Patricia

A study was conducted to determine whether group relaxation training combined with guided fantasy as a method of covert cognitive rehearsal would be more effective than story-listening or no special treatment in enabling "problematic" children to decrease muscle tension, activity level, and behavior problems and to increase academic performance…

Intraoperative Methadone in Same-Day Ambulatory Surgery: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Dose-Finding Pilot Study.

PubMed

Komen, Helga; Brunt, L Michael; Deych, Elena; Blood, Jane; Kharasch, Evan D

2018-05-25

Approximately 50 million US patients undergo ambulatory surgery annually. Postoperative opioid overprescribing is problematic, yet many patients report inadequate pain relief. In major inpatient surgery, intraoperative single-dose methadone produces better analgesia and reduces opioid use compared with conventional repeated dosing of short-duration opioids. This investigation tested the hypothesis that in same-day ambulatory surgery, intraoperative methadone, compared with short-duration opioids, reduces opioid consumption and pain, and determined an effective intraoperative induction dose of methadone for same-day ambulatory surgery. A double-blind, dose-escalation protocol randomized 60 patients (2:1) to intraoperative single-dose intravenous methadone (initially 0.1 then 0.15 mg/kg ideal body weight) or conventional as-needed dosing of short-duration opioids (eg, fentanyl, hydromorphone; controls). Intraoperative and postoperative opioid consumption, pain, and opioid side effects were assessed before discharge. Patient home diaries recorded pain, opioid use, and opioid side effects daily for 30 days postoperatively. Primary outcome was in-hospital (intraoperative and postoperative) opioid use. Secondary outcomes were 30 days opioid consumption, pain intensity, and opioid side effects. Median (interquartile range) methadone doses were 6 (5-6) and 9 (8-9) mg in the 0.1 and 0.15 mg/kg methadone groups, respectively. Total opioid consumption (morphine equivalents) in the postanesthesia care unit was significantly less compared with controls (9.3 mg, 1.3-11.0) in subjects receiving 0.15 mg/kg methadone (0.1 mg, 0.1-3.3; P < .001) but not 0.1 mg/kg methadone (5.0 mg, 3.3-8.1; P = .60). Dose-escalation ended at 0.15 mg/kg methadone. Total in-hospital nonmethadone opioid use after short-duration opioid, 0.1 mg/kg methadone, and 0.15 mg/kg methadone was 35.3 (25.0-44.0), 7.1 (3.7-10.0), and 3.3 (0.1-5.8) mg morphine equivalents, respectively (P < .001 for both versus control). In-hospital pain scores and side effects were not different between groups. In the 30 days after discharge, patients who received methadone 0.15 mg/kg had less pain at rest (P = .02) and used fewer opioid pills than controls (P < .0001), whereas patients who received 0.1 mg/kg had no difference in pain at rest (P = .69) and opioid use compared to controls (P = .08). In same-day discharge surgery, this pilot study identified a single intraoperative dose of methadone (0.15 mg/kg ideal body weight), which decreased intraoperative and postoperative opioid requirements and postoperative pain, compared with conventional intermittent short-duration opioids, with similar side effects.

Developments in drug delivery of bioactive alkaloids derived from traditional Chinese medicine.

PubMed

Zheng, Xiao; Wu, Fei; Lin, Xiao; Shen, Lan; Feng, Yi

2018-11-01

The bioactive alkaloids (e.g. vincristine, hydroxycamptothecin, ligustrazine, and so on) from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have exerted potent efficacies (e.g. anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, immunosuppression, etc.). However, a series of undesirable physicochemical properties (like low solubility and weak stability) and baneful pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles (e.g. low bioavailability, short half time, rapid clearance, etc.) have severely restricted their applications in clinic. In addition, some side effects (like cumulative toxicities caused by high-frequency administration and their own toxicities) have recently been reported and also confined their clinical uses. Therefore, developments in drug delivery of such alkaloids are of significance in improving their drug-like properties and, thus, treatment efficiencies in clinic. Strategies, including (i) specific delivery via liposomes; (ii) sustained delivery via nanoparticles, gels, and emulsions; and (iii) transdermal delivery via ethosomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and penetrating enhancers, have been reported to improve the pharmacokinetic and physicochemical characters of problematic TCM alkaloids, decline their adverse effects, and thus, boost their curative efficacies. In this review, the recent reports in this field were comprehensively summarized with the aim of providing an informative reference for relevant readers.

Paroxetine Treatment of Problematic Pornography Use: A Case Series

PubMed Central

Gola, Mateusz; Potenza, Marc N.

2016-01-01

Background How best to conceptualize problematic pornography use (PPU) and intervene most effectively remain debated, with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and addiction frameworks. We investigated the efficacy of the serotonin-reuptake inhibitor paroxetine in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of problematic pornography use (PPU). Case presentation Three heterosexual males with PPU were treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy and paroxetine. Frequency of pornography use, other sexual behaviors, and anxiety were assessed during treatment. Discussion Paroxetine treatment, although seemingly initially effective in reducing pornography use and anxiety, appeared related to new compulsive sexual behaviors after 3 months. Conclusions Paroxetine may hold promise for short-term reduction of PPU and related anxiety, but new potentially distressing sexual behaviors may emerge. The cases suggest that PPU may arise from multiple domains. We propose an explanation of the effects based on recent neuroscientific research on sexual behaviors and alcohol use. PMID:27440474

Paroxetine Treatment of Problematic Pornography Use: A Case Series.

PubMed

Gola, Mateusz; Potenza, Marc N

2016-09-01

Background How best to conceptualize problematic pornography use (PPU) and intervene most effectively remain debated, with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and addiction frameworks. We investigated the efficacy of the serotonin-reuptake inhibitor paroxetine in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of problematic pornography use (PPU). Case presentation Three heterosexual males with PPU were treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy and paroxetine. Frequency of pornography use, other sexual behaviors, and anxiety were assessed during treatment. Discussion Paroxetine treatment, although seemingly initially effective in reducing pornography use and anxiety, appeared related to new compulsive sexual behaviors after 3 months. Conclusions Paroxetine may hold promise for short-term reduction of PPU and related anxiety, but new potentially distressing sexual behaviors may emerge. The cases suggest that PPU may arise from multiple domains. We propose an explanation of the effects based on recent neuroscientific research on sexual behaviors and alcohol use.

[Problematic online gaming. A review of the literature].

PubMed

Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Pápay, Orsolya; Urbán, Róbert; Farkas, Judit; Kun, Bernadette; Griffiths, Mark; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2013-01-01

In parallel with the increasing popularity of online games, researchers have reported an increasing number of problematic users. For this reason there is a growing amount of literature analyzing the effects of online games. The present review described the evolution of online games as well as their types and specific characteristics of these types. This review examines (i) the question of definition, (ii) symptoms of problematic use, (iii) the measurement instruments (iv) prevalence data, (v) issues of etiology, (vi) the results of comorbidity, and (vii) the main trends and results in the area of prevention and treatment.

Adolescent Problematic Social Networking and School Experiences: The Mediating Effects of Sleep Disruptions and Sleep Quality.

PubMed

Vernon, Lynette; Barber, Bonnie L; Modecki, Kathryn L

2015-07-01

An important developmental task for adolescents is to become increasingly responsible for their own health behaviors. Establishing healthy sleep routines and controlling media use before bedtime are important for adequate, quality sleep so adolescents are alert during the day and perform well at school. Despite the prevalence of adolescent social media use and the large percentage of computers and cell phones in adolescents' bedrooms, no studies to date have investigated the link between problematic adolescent investment in social networking, their sleep practices, and associated experiences at school. A sample of 1,886 students in Australia aged between 12 and 18 years of age completed self-report data on problematic social networking use, sleep disturbances, sleep quality, and school satisfaction. Structural equation modeling (SEM) substantiated the serial mediation hypothesis: for adolescents, problematic social networking use significantly increased sleep disturbances, which adversely affected perceptions of sleep quality that, in turn, lowered adolescents' appraisals of their school satisfaction. This significant pattern was largely driven by the indirect effect of sleep disturbances. These findings suggest that adolescents are vulnerable to negative consequences from social networking use. Specifically, problematic social networking is associated with poor school experiences, which result from poor sleep habits. Promoting better sleep routines by minimizing sleep disturbances from social media use could improve school experiences for adolescents with enhanced emotional engagement and improved subjective well-being.

Associations of sleep bruxism with age, sleep apnea, and daytime problematic behaviors in children.

PubMed

Tachibana, M; Kato, T; Kato-Nishimura, K; Matsuzawa, S; Mohri, I; Taniike, M

2016-09-01

The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of sleep bruxism in children in Japan, and its relationships with sleep-related factors and daytime problematic behavior. Guardians of 6023 children aged 2-12 years completed the Japanese Sleep Questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis and structural equation modeling were performed. Sleep bruxism was reported in 21.0% children (n = 1263): the prevalence was highest in the age group of 5-7 years (27.4%). Multiple regression analysis showed that sleep bruxism had significant correlations with age 5-7 years (OR: 1.72; P < 0.0001), 'Moves a lot during sleep' (OR: 1.47; P < 0.0001), 'sleeps with mouth open' (OR: 1.56; P < 0.0001), and 'snores loudly' (OR: 1.80; P < 0.0001). In structural equation modeling, sleep bruxism had a significant but weak direct effect on daytime problematic behavior, while sleep bruxism significantly correlated with obstructive sleep apnea, which had a higher direct effect on daytime problematic behavior. Sleep bruxism was reported in 21.0% of Japanese children and had independent relationships with age, movements during sleep, and snoring. A comorbidity of sleep-disordered breathing might be related to daytime problematic behavior in children with sleep bruxism. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The association between financial literacy and Problematic Internet Shopping in a multinational sample.

PubMed

Lam, Lawrence T; Lam, Mary K

2017-12-01

To examine the association between financial literacy and Problematic Internet Shopping in adults. This cross-sectional online survey recruited participants, aged between 18 and 60 years, through an online research facility. The sample consisted of multinational participants from mainly three continents including Europe, North America, and Asia. Problematic Internet Shopping was assessed using the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale (BSAS). Financial Literacy was measured by the Financial Literacy subscale of the Financial Wellbeing Questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to elucidate the relationship between the study and outcome variables with adjustment for other potential risk factors. Of the total of 997 respondents with an average age of 30.9 (s.d. = 8.8), 135 (13.8%) could be classified as having a high risk of being Problematic Internet Shoppers. Results from the multiple regression analyses suggested a significant and negative relationship between financial literacy and Problematic Internet Shopping with a regression coefficient of - 0.13, after controlling for the effects of potential risk factors such as age, region of birth, employment, income, shopping frequency, self-regulation and anxiety (t = - 6.42, p < 0.001). The clinical management of PIS should include a financial counselling as a component of the treatment regime. Enhancement of financial literacy in the general population, particularly among young people, will likely have a positive effect on the occurrence of PIS.

Problematic Substance Use in Urban Adolescents: Role of Intrauterine Exposures to Cocaine and Marijuana and Post-Natal Environment

PubMed Central

Frank, Deborah A.; Kuranz, Seth; Appugliese, Danielle; Cabral, Howard; Chen, Clara; Crooks, Denise; Heeren, Timothy; Liebschutz, Jane; Richardson, Mark; Rose-Jacobs, Ruth

2014-01-01

Background Linkages between intrauterine exposures to cocaine and marijuana and adolescents’ problematic substance use have not been fully delineated. Methods Prospective longitudinal study with assessors unaware of intrauterine exposure history followed 157 urban participants from birth until late adolescence. Level of intrauterine exposures was identified by mother's report and infant’s meconium. Problematic substance use, identified by the Voice Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (V-DISC) or the Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) and urine assay, was a composite encompassing DSM-IV indication of tolerance, abuse, and dependence on alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco and any use of cocaine, glue, or opiates. Results Twenty percent (32/157) of the sample experienced problematic substance use by age 18 years, of whom the majority (22/157) acknowledged abuse, tolerance or dependence on marijuana with or without other substances. Structural equation models examining direct and indirect pathways linking a Cox survival model for early substance initiation to a logistic regression models found effects of post-natal factors including childhood exposure to violence and household substance use, early youth substance initiation, and ongoing youth violence exposure contributing to adolescent problematic substance use. Conclusion We did not identify direct relationships between intrauterine cocaine or marijuana exposure and problematic substance use, but did find potentially modifiable post-natal risk factors also noted to be associated with problematic substance use in the general population including earlier substance initiation, exposure to violence and to household substance use. PMID:24999059

Associations of body weight perception and weight control behaviors with problematic internet use among Korean adolescents.

PubMed

Park, Subin; Lee, Yeeun

2017-05-01

We examined the association of body mass index (BMI), body weight perception, and weight control behaviors with problematic Internet use in a nationwide sample of Korean adolescents. Cross-sectional data from the 2010 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey collected from 37,041 boys and 33,655 girls in middle- and high- schools (grades 7-12) were analyzed. Participants were classified into groups based on BMI (underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese), body weight perception (underweight, normal weight, and overweight), and weight control behavior (no weight control behavior, appropriate weight control behavior, inappropriate weight control behavior). The risk of problematic Internet use was assessed with the Korean Internet Addiction Proneness Scale for Youth-Short Form. Both boys and girls with inappropriate weight control behavior were more likely to have problematic Internet use. Underweight, overweight, and obese boys and girls were more likely to have problematic Internet use. For both boys and girls, subjective perception of underweight and overweight were positively associated with problematic Internet use. Given the negative effect of inappropriate weight control behavior, special attention needs to be given to adolescents' inappropriate weight control behavior, and an educational intervention for adolescents to control their weight in healthy ways is needed. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cyclodextrins: improving the therapeutic response of analgesic drugs: a patent review.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Makson G B; Guimarães, Adriana G; Araújo, Adriano A S; Quintans, Jullyana S S; Santos, Márcio R V; Quintans-Júnior, Lucindo J

2015-01-01

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligosaccharides that have recently been recognized as useful tools for optimizing the delivery of such problematic drugs. CDs can be found in at least 35 pharmaceutical products, such as anticancer agents, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs. Besides, several studies have demonstrated that CD-complexed drugs could provide benefits in solubility, stability and also improve pharmacological response when compared with the drug alone. The patent search was conducted in the databases WIPO, Espacenet, USPTO, Derwent and INPI, using the keywords cyclodextrin, pain and its related terms (analgesia, hyperalgesia, hypernociception, nociception, antinociception, antinociceptive). We found 442 patents. Criteria such as the complexation of analgesic agents and evidence of improvement of the therapeutic effect were indispensable for the inclusion of the patent. So, 18 patents were selected. We noticed that some patents are related to the complexation of opioids, NSAIDs, as well as natural products, in different types of CDs. The use of CDs creates the prospect of developing new therapeutic options for the most effective treatment of painful conditions, allowing a reduction of dosage of analgesic drugs and the occurrence of side effects. Thus, CDs can be an important tool to improve the efficacy and pharmacological profile of analgesic drugs.

Why Is Organizing Human Resource Development so Problematic? Perspectives from the Learning-Network Theory (Part I)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poell, Rob F.; van der Krogt, Ferd

2017-01-01

Purpose: Human resource development (HRD) is an important field within management. Developing employees is often regarded as an instrument to improve the internal labor market and support organizational change. Organizing HRD to these ends, however, is frequently a problematic affair, in terms of training effectiveness, participant motivation and…

Why is Organizing Human Resource Development so Problematic? Perspectives from the Learning-Network Theory (Part II)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poell, Rob F.; Van Der Krogt, Ferd

2017-01-01

Purpose: Human resource development (HRD) is an important field within management. Developing employees is often regarded as an instrument to improve the internal labor market and support organizational change. Organizing HRD to these ends, however, is frequently a problematic affair, in terms of training effectiveness, participant motivation and…

Internet Therapy versus Internet Self-Help versus No Treatment for Problematic Alcohol Use: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blankers, Matthijs; Koeter, Maarten W. J.; Schippers, Gerard M.

2011-01-01

Objective: Problematic alcohol use is the third leading contributor to the global burden of disease, partly because the majority of problem drinkers are not receiving treatment. Internet-based alcohol interventions attract an otherwise untreated population, but their effectiveness has not yet been established. The current study examined the…

The Mediating Effect of Gaming Motivation Between Psychiatric Symptoms and Problematic Online Gaming: An Online Survey

PubMed Central

Király, Orsolya; Urbán, Róbert; Griffiths, Mark D; Ágoston, Csilla; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi

2015-01-01

Background The rapid expansion of online video gaming as a leisure time activity has led to the appearance of problematic online gaming (POG). According to the literature, POG is associated with different psychiatric symptoms (eg, depression, anxiety) and with specific gaming motives (ie, escape, achievement). Based on studies of alcohol use that suggest a mediator role of drinking motives between distal influences (eg, trauma symptoms) and drinking problems, this study examined the assumption that there is an indirect link between psychiatric distress and POG via the mediation of gaming motives. Furthermore, it was also assumed that there was a moderator effect of gender and game type preference based on the important role gender plays in POG and the structural differences between different game types. Objective This study had two aims. The first aim was to test the mediating role of online gaming motives between psychiatric symptoms and problematic use of online games. The second aim was to test the moderator effect of gender and game type preference in this mediation model. Methods An online survey was conducted on a sample of online gamers (N=3186; age: mean 21.1, SD 5.9 years; male: 2859/3186, 89.74%). The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ), and the Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (POGQ) were administered to assess general psychiatric distress, online gaming motives, and problematic online game use, respectively. Structural regression analyses within structural equation modeling were used to test the proposed mediation models and multigroup analyses were used to test gender and game type differences to determine possible moderating effects. Results The mediation models fitted the data adequately. The Global Severity Index (GSI) of the BSI indicated that the level of psychiatric distress had a significant positive direct effect (standardized effect=.35, P<.001) and a significant indirect (mediating) effect on POG (standardized effect=.194, P<.001) via 2 gaming motives: escape (standardized effect=.139, P<.001) and competition (standardized effect=.046, P<.001). The comparison of the 2 main gamer types showed no significant differences in the model. However, when comparing male and female players it was found that women had (1) slightly higher escape scores (on a 5-point Likert scale: mean 2.28, SD 1.14) than men (mean 1.87, SD 0.97) and (2) a stronger association between the escape motive and problematic online gaming (standardized effect size=.64, P<.001) than men (standardized effect size=.20, P=.001). Conclusions The results suggest that psychiatric distress is both directly and indirectly (via escape and competition motives) negatively associated with POG. Therefore, the exploration of psychiatric symptoms and gaming motives of POG can be helpful in the preparation of prevention and treatment programs. PMID:25855558

The mediating effect of gaming motivation between psychiatric symptoms and problematic online gaming: an online survey.

PubMed

Király, Orsolya; Urbán, Róbert; Griffiths, Mark D; Ágoston, Csilla; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2015-04-07

The rapid expansion of online video gaming as a leisure time activity has led to the appearance of problematic online gaming (POG). According to the literature, POG is associated with different psychiatric symptoms (eg, depression, anxiety) and with specific gaming motives (ie, escape, achievement). Based on studies of alcohol use that suggest a mediator role of drinking motives between distal influences (eg, trauma symptoms) and drinking problems, this study examined the assumption that there is an indirect link between psychiatric distress and POG via the mediation of gaming motives. Furthermore, it was also assumed that there was a moderator effect of gender and game type preference based on the important role gender plays in POG and the structural differences between different game types. This study had two aims. The first aim was to test the mediating role of online gaming motives between psychiatric symptoms and problematic use of online games. The second aim was to test the moderator effect of gender and game type preference in this mediation model. An online survey was conducted on a sample of online gamers (N=3186; age: mean 21.1, SD 5.9 years; male: 2859/3186, 89.74%). The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ), and the Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (POGQ) were administered to assess general psychiatric distress, online gaming motives, and problematic online game use, respectively. Structural regression analyses within structural equation modeling were used to test the proposed mediation models and multigroup analyses were used to test gender and game type differences to determine possible moderating effects. The mediation models fitted the data adequately. The Global Severity Index (GSI) of the BSI indicated that the level of psychiatric distress had a significant positive direct effect (standardized effect=.35, P<.001) and a significant indirect (mediating) effect on POG (standardized effect=.194, P<.001) via 2 gaming motives: escape (standardized effect=.139, P<.001) and competition (standardized effect=.046, P<.001). The comparison of the 2 main gamer types showed no significant differences in the model. However, when comparing male and female players it was found that women had (1) slightly higher escape scores (on a 5-point Likert scale: mean 2.28, SD 1.14) than men (mean 1.87, SD 0.97) and (2) a stronger association between the escape motive and problematic online gaming (standardized effect size=.64, P<.001) than men (standardized effect size=.20, P=.001). The results suggest that psychiatric distress is both directly and indirectly (via escape and competition motives) negatively associated with POG. Therefore, the exploration of psychiatric symptoms and gaming motives of POG can be helpful in the preparation of prevention and treatment programs.

Expert opinion on a flexible extended regimen of drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol contraceptive.

PubMed

Han, Leo; Jensen, Jeffrey T

2014-10-01

Oral contraceptives are often prescribed in extended or continuous forms in order to manage menstrual bleeding and menstrual-related side effects. However, with extended regimens, unscheduled intracycle bleeding can become problematic. Flexible extended dosing of a contraceptive containing drospirenone (DRSP) and ethinyl estradiol (EE) was designed to improve bleeding profiles during extended cycles through active management of bleeding symptoms. We examine the rationale for flexible extended dosing as well as review the dosing regimen. We will focus on the findings of the two most important clinical trials regarding flexible extended DRSP/EE (3 mg/20 μg), including the bleeding profiles of women in those trials. Pharmacology, mechanisms of action, efficacy as well as safety of DRSP containing pills will also be reviewed. Flexible extended dosing of DRSP/EE (3 mg/20 μg) has similar pharmacokinetics and contraceptive efficacy of both conventional and fixed extended regimens. However, it has the added benefit of fewer days of bleeding/spotting compared to conventional and fixed extended regimens.

A dangerous method? The German discourse on hypnotic suggestion therapy around 1900

PubMed Central

Maehle, Andreas-Holger

2017-01-01

In the late nineteenth century, German-speaking physicians and psychiatrists intensely debated the benefits and risks of treatment by hypnotic suggestion. While practitioners of the method sought to provide convincing evidence for its therapeutic efficacy in many medical conditions, especially nervous disorders, critics pointed to dangerous side effects, including the triggering of hysterical attacks or deterioration of nervous symptoms. Other critics claimed that patients merely simulated hypnotic phenomena in order to appease their therapist. A widespread concern was the potential for abuses of hypnosis, either by giving criminal suggestions or in the form of sexual assaults on hypnotized patients. Official inquiries by the Prussian Minister for Religious, Educational and Medical Affairs in 1902 and 1906 indicated that relatively few doctors practised hypnotherapy, whereas the method was increasingly used by lay healers. Although the Ministry found no evidence for serious harm caused by hypnotic treatments, whether performed by doctors or by lay healers, many German doctors seem to have regarded hypnotic suggestion therapy as a problematic method and abstained from using it.

From gun politics to self-defense politics: a feminist critique of the great gun debate.

PubMed

Carlson, Jennifer D

2014-03-01

This article calls attention to a problematic binary produced by public debates surrounding gun rights and gun control-namely, that women must choose armed self-protection or no self-protection at all. I argue that both anti- and pro-gun discourses, drawing on and reproducing race and class privileges, use assumptions about women's physical inferiority to further their agendas. I highlight how both sides have used guns as the proxy for self-defense and conclude by calling for a shift in public discourse to focus on the broader question of the right to self-defense rather than the narrower question of gun rights.

The unique relationship between fear of cognitive dyscontrol and self-reports of problematic drinking.

PubMed

Koven, Nancy S; Heller, Wendy; Miller, Gregory A

2005-03-01

Research has established positive associations between anxiety sensitivity (AS) and problematic drinking in clinical samples. The present study confirmed this relationship in a nonclinical sample (N=162) and investigated which AS dimension best predicts self-reports of problematic drinking. Only one AS facet, fear of cognitive dyscontrol (FCC), was associated with symptoms of alcohol dependence, severity of drinking problems, and alcohol-related expectations of global, positive changes, sexual enhancement, and tension reduction. The possible role of depression in these relationships was also evaluated. A series of hierarchical regressions revealed that, when trait anxiety, anxious arousal, and anxious apprehension were statistically removed, depression did not contribute significant variance beyond the effects of FMC and other anxiety measures. Results suggest that FCC is uniquely associated with self-reports of problematic drinking behaviors and attitudes. Implications for tension-reduction models of alcohol are discussed.

Silencing of the sulfur rich α-gliadin storage protein family in wheat grains (Triticum aestivum L.) causes no unintended side-effects on other metabolites

PubMed Central

Zörb, Christian; Becker, Dirk; Hasler, Mario; Mühling, Karl H.; Gödde, Victoria; Niehaus, Karsten; Geilfus, Christoph-Martin

2013-01-01

Wheat is an important source of proteins and metabolites for human and animal nutrition. To assess the nutritional quality of wheat products, various protein and diverse metabolites have to be evaluated. The grain storage protein family of the α-gliadins are suggested to be the primary initiator of the inflammatory response to gluten in Celiac disease patients. With the technique of RNAi, the α-gliadin storage protein fraction in wheat grains was recently knocked down. From a patient's perspective, this is a desired approach, however, this study aims to evaluate whether such a down-regulation of these problematic α-gliadins also has unintended side-effects on other plant metabolites. Such uncontrolled and unknown arbitrary effects on any metabolite in plants designated for food production would surely represent an avoidable risk for the consumer. In general, α-gliadins are rich in sulfur, making their synthesis and content depended of the sulfur supply. For this reason, the influence of the application of increasing sulfur amounts on the metabolome of α-gliadin-deficient wheat was additionally investigated because it might be possible that e.g., considerable high/low amounts of S might increase or even induce such unintended effects that are not observable under moderate S nutrition. By silencing the α-gliadin genes, a recently developed wheat line that lacks the set of 75 corresponding α-gliadin proteins has become available. The plants were subsequently tested for RNAi-induced effects on metabolites that were not directly attributable to the specific effects of the RNAi-approach on the α-gliadin proteins. For this, GC-MS-based metabolite profiles were recorded. A comparison of wild type with gliadin-deficient plants cultivated in pot experiments revealed no differences in all 109 analyzed metabolites, regardless of the S-nutritional status. No unintended effects attributable to the RNAi-based specific genetic deletion of a storage protein fraction were observed. PMID:24062763

Video game playing in high school students: health correlates, gender differences and problematic gaming

PubMed Central

Desai, Rani A.; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra; Cavallo, Dana; Potenza, Marc N.

2013-01-01

There is concern about the potential for negative impact of video games on youth. However the existing literature on gaming is inconsistent and has often focused on aggression. Health correlates of gaming and the prevalence and correlates of problematic gaming have not been systematically studied. We anonymously surveyed 4,028 adolescents about gaming, reported problems with gaming, and other health behaviors. 51.2% of the sample reported gaming (76.3% of boys and 29.2% of girls). There were no negative health correlates of gaming in boys, and lower odds of smoking regularly; however, girls who reported gaming were less likely to report depression, and more likely to report getting into serious fights and carrying a weapon to school. Among gamers, 4.9% reported problematic gaming, defined as reporting trying to cut back, experiencing an irresistible urge to play, and experiencing a growing tension that could only be relieved by playing. Boys were more likely to report these problems (5.8%) than girls (3.0%). Correlates of problematic gaming included regular cigarette smoking, drug use, depression, and serious fights. Results suggest that gaming is largely normative in boys and not associated with many health factors. In girls, however, gaming appears associated with more externalizing behaviors and fewer internalizing symptoms. The prevalence of problematic gaming is low but not insignificant, and problematic gaming may be contained within a larger spectrum of externalizing behaviors. More research is needed to define safe levels of gaming, refine the definition of problematic gaming, and evaluate effective prevention and intervention strategies. PMID:21078729

Video-gaming among high school students: health correlates, gender differences, and problematic gaming.

PubMed

Desai, Rani A; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra; Cavallo, Dana; Potenza, Marc N

2010-12-01

Video game playing may negatively impact youth. However, the existing literature on gaming is inconsistent and often has focused on aggression rather than the health correlates of gaming and the prevalence and correlates of problematic gaming. We anonymously surveyed 4028 adolescents about gaming and reported problems with gaming and other health behaviors. A total of 51.2% of the sample reported gaming (76.3% of boys and 29.2% of girls). There were no negative health correlates of gaming in boys and lower odds of smoking regularly; however, girls who reported gaming were less likely to report depression and more likely to report getting into serious fights and carrying a weapon to school. Among gamers, 4.9% reported problematic gaming, defined as reporting trying to cut back, experiencing an irresistible urge to play, and experiencing a growing tension that could only be relieved by playing. Boys were more likely to report these problems (5.8%) than girls (3.0%). Correlates of problematic gaming included regular cigarette smoking, drug use, depression, and serious fights. Results suggest that gaming is largely normative in boys and not associated with many health factors. In girls, however, gaming seems to be associated with more externalizing behaviors and fewer internalizing symptoms. The prevalence of problematic gaming is low but not insignificant, and problematic gaming may be contained within a larger spectrum of externalizing behaviors. More research is needed to define safe levels of gaming, refine the definition of problematic gaming, and evaluate effective prevention and intervention strategies.

Collisions and drag in debris discs with eccentric parent belts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löhne, T.; Krivov, A. V.; Kirchschlager, F.; Sende, J. A.; Wolf, S.

2017-08-01

Context. High-resolution images of circumstellar debris discs reveal off-centred rings that indicate past or ongoing perturbation, possibly caused by secular gravitational interaction with unseen stellar or substellar companions. The purely dynamical aspects of this departure from radial symmetry are well understood. However, the observed dust is subject to additional forces and effects, most notably collisions and drag. Aims: To complement the studies of dynamics, we therefore aim to understand how the addition of collisional evolution and drag forces creates new asymmetries and strengthens or overrides existing ones. Methods: We augmented our existing numerical code Analysis of Collisional Evolution (ACE) by an azimuthal dimension, the longitude of periapse. A set of fiducial discs with global eccentricities ranging from 0 to 0.4 was evolved over gigayear timescales. Size distribution and spatial variation of dust were analysed and interpreted. We discuss the basic impact of belt eccentricity on spectral energy distributions and images. Results: We find features imposed on characteristic timescales. First, radiation pressure defines size cut-offs that differ between periapse and apoapse, resulting in an asymmetric halo. The differences in size distribution make the observable asymmetry of the halo depend on wavelength. Second, collisional equilibrium prefers smaller grains on the apastron side of the parent belt, reducing the effect of pericentre glow and the overall asymmetry. Third, Poynting-Robertson drag fills the region interior to an eccentric belt such that the apastron side is more tenuous. Interpretation and prediction of the appearance in scattered light is problematic when spatial and size distribution are coupled.

Age and Early Graft Function Relate With Risk-Benefit Ratio of Allogenic Islet Transplantation Under Antithymocyte Globulin-Mycophenolate Mofetil-Tacrolimus Immune Suppression.

PubMed

Lee, DaHae; Keymeulen, Bart; Hilbrands, Robert; Ling, Zhidong; Van de Velde, Ursule; Jacobs-Tulleneers-Thevissen, Daniel; Maleux, Geert; Lapauw, Bruno; Crenier, Laurent; De Block, Christophe; Mathieu, Chantal; Pipeleers, Daniel; Gillard, Pieter

2017-09-01

Induction therapy with a T cell-depleting agent followed by mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus is presently the most frequently used immune suppression (IS) regimen in islet transplantation. This study assesses its safety and tolerability in nonuremic type 1 diabetic recipients. Fifty-one patients (age, between 29 and 63 years) with high glycemic variability and problematic hypoglycemia received intraportal islet grafts under anti-thymocyte globulin-mycophenolate mofetil-tacrolimus protocol. They were followed up for over 48 months for function of the implant and adverse events. Severe hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis were absent in patients with functioning graft. Immune suppressive therapy was maintained for 48 months in 29 recipients with sustained function (group A), whereas 16 patients stopped earlier due to graft failure (group B) and in 6 for other reasons. Group A was significantly older at the time of implantation and achieved higher graft function at posttransplantation month 6 under similar dose of IS. Prevalence of IS-related side effects was similar in groups A and B, occurring predominantly during the first year posttransplantation. IS-related serious adverse events (SAE) were reported in 47% of patients, with 4 presenting with cytomegalovirus infection and 4 (age, 42-59 years) diagnosed with cancer. Except in 1 patient with cancer, all SAEs resolved after appropriate treatment. These risk/benefit data serve as a basis for clinical decision-making before entering an intraportal islet transplantation protocol. A longer benefit is observed in recipients of higher age (≥40 years), but it is not associated with more side effects and SAE.

Predicting Problematic Alcohol Use with the DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Pathology

PubMed Central

Creswell, Kasey G.; Bachrach, Rachel L.; Wright, Aidan G.C.; Pinto, Anthony; Ansell, Emily

2015-01-01

There is high comorbidity between personality disorders and alcohol use disorders, which appears related to individual differences in underlying personality dimensions of behavioral undercontrol and affective dysregulation. Very little is known about how the DSM-5 Section III trait model of personality pathology relates to alcohol problems, however, or how the strength of the relationship between personality pathology and alcohol problems changes with age and across gender. The current study examined these questions in a sample of 877 participants using the General Assessment of Personality Disorder to assess general personality dysfunction, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 to measure specific traits, and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test to assess problematic alcohol use. Results demonstrated that general personality pathology (Criterion A) was significantly related to problematic alcohol use after controlling for age and gender effects. Further, two of the five higher-order personality trait domains (Criterion B), Antagonism and Disinhibition, remained significant predictors of problematic alcohol use after accounting for the influence of general personality pathology; however, general personality pathology no longer predicted hazardous alcohol use once Antagonism and Disinhibition were added into the model. Finally, these two specific traits interacted with age, such that Antagonism was a stronger predictor of AUDIT scores among older individuals and Disinhibition was a stronger predictor of alcohol problems among younger individuals. Findings support the general validity of this new personality disorder diagnostic system and suggest important age effects in the relationship between traits and problematic alcohol use. PMID:26389625

The Detection and Influence of Problematic Item Content in Ability Tests: An Examination of Sensitivity Review Practices for Personnel Selection Test Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grand, James A.; Golubovich, Juliya; Ryan, Ann Marie; Schmitt, Neal

2013-01-01

In organizational and educational practices, sensitivity reviews are commonly advocated techniques for reducing test bias and enhancing fairness. In the present paper, results from two studies are reported which investigate how effective individuals are at detecting problematic test content and the influence such content has on important testing…

Evaluation of problematic psychoactive substances use in people placed in police custody.

PubMed

Gérardin, Marie; Guigand, Gabriel; Wainstein, Laura; Jolliet, Pascale; Victorri-Vigneau, Caroline; Clément, Renaud

2017-07-01

In France, the law states that any person held in custody could be examined by a doctor. The main objective of the medical examination is to give medical evidence of health compatibility with custody. This review identifies health risks such as addictive behaviour. We wanted to know which psychoactive substances are used in this particular population, and how problematic these uses are. A prospective, monocentric, open-ended study conducted via a structured questionnaire was carried out on detainees who reported having taken drugs or illegal substances. Practitioners investigated desired effects for each substance, and characteristics of use, by means of the dependence criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Problematic use was assessed when at least 3 items of the DSM IV were positive. 604 questionnaires were examined. 90.7% of questionnaires reported tobacco use, 76.2% cannabis, 57.3% alcohol, 12.5% psychostimulants, 10.0% opiates and 0.7% benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. The frequency of problematic use was 74.6% for opiates, 44.9% for cocaine and 25.3% for cannabis. Compared to non-problematic users, problematic users were older, more likely to be jobless without financial means, more likely to have a medical history, including a greater likelihood of mental illness, and more chance of undergoing prescribed medical treatment. They included more women and more homeless people. These results show characteristics of psychoactive substance use in a sample of people in custody. Psychoactive substances mentioned by respondents are not different from those observed in the general population, but for certain users, the desired effects are far from the pharmacologically expected ones. For some, taking substances seems to be part of their way of life, for others it is a means to compensate for an underlying feeling of uneasiness. Furthermore, problematic users present severity criteria which seem to be greater than in psychoactive substance users in the general population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Effects of Cognitive Distortions on the Link Between Dating Violence Exposure and Substance Problems in Clinically Hospitalized Youth.

PubMed

Miller, Adam Bryant; Williams, Caitlin; Day, Catherine; Esposito-Smythers, Christianne

2017-06-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether cognitive distortions (e.g., cognitive errors; negative views of self, world, and future) influence the association between dating violence and problematic substance use behaviors in a sample of psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents. Participants included 155 adolescents, aged 13-17 years, who had initiated dating. Adolescents completed measures of dating violence, substance-related problems (alcohol and marijuana), and cognitive distortions. Logistic regressions were conducted to examine the direct and interactive effects of dating violence exposure and cognitive distortions on likelihood of recent problematic substance use. Results suggested a main effect of dating violence on problematic alcohol and other drug use as well as an interactive effect of dating violence and cognitive distortions. Specifically, the relationship between dating violence and odds of substance-related problems was higher among those with greater (vs. fewer) cognitive distortions. Study results suggest the need for careful screening of cognitive distortions among adolescent dating violence victims, particularly those in mental health treatment. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of Cognitive Distortions on the Link Between Dating Violence Exposure and Substance Problems in Clinically Hospitalized Youth

PubMed Central

Miller, Adam Bryant; Williams, Caitlin; Esposito-Smythers, Christianne

2016-01-01

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to examine whether cognitive distortions (e.g., cognitive errors; negative views of self, world, and future) influence the association between dating violence and problematic substance use behaviors in a sample of psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents. Methods Participants included 155 adolescents, ages 13 to 17, who had initiated dating. Adolescents completed measures of dating violence, substance related problems, (alcohol and marijuana), and cognitive distortions. Results Logistic regressions were conducted to examine the direct and interactive effects of dating violence exposure and cognitive distortions on likelihood of recent problematic substance use. Results suggested a main effect of dating violence on problematic alcohol and other drug use as well as an interactive effect of dating violence and cognitive distortions. Specifically, the relationship between dating violence and odds of substance related problems were higher among those with greater (vs. fewer) cognitive distortions. Conclusions Study results suggest the need for careful screening of cognitive distortions among adolescent dating violence victims, particularly those in mental health treatment. PMID:27552530

Sex differences in mediating and moderating processes linking economic stressors, psychological distress, and drinking.

PubMed

Lewis Brown, Robyn; Richman, Judith A

2012-09-01

Given the recent downturn in the U.S. economy, we considered in this study the processes linking economic stressors, psychological distress, and two alcohol-related outcomes (past-month drinking and problematic drinking). Data were drawn from a mail survey of a national sample of 663 respondents. Structural equation modeling was used to assess whether psychological distress mediates the associations between economic stressors and the alcohol-related outcomes considered and whether these associations varied by gender. Controlling for correlations among the outcomes and the effects of the sociodemographic control variables, psychological distress was found to partly explain the association between economic stressors and problematic drinking. The mediating effects on problematic drinking were significantly greater for men than women. The findings demonstrate the utility of considering interrelationships among alcohol-related outcomes and, in this context, reveal the circumstances in which gender matters most for understanding the associations among economy-related stressors, psychological distress, and drinking.

Natural products-friends or foes?

PubMed

Margină, Denisa; Ilie, Mihaela; Grădinaru, Daniela; Androutsopoulos, Vasilis P; Kouretas, Demetrios; Tsatsakis, Aristidis M

2015-08-05

A trend in the general population has been observed in recent years regarding the orientation toward preventive measures in health; in this context the increased interest from the users and researchers concerning the active effect of food supplements on the health state and on longevity, is noticeable. All over the world, the consumption of natural foods and of vegetal supplements has increased spectacularly over the last 5-10 years. The decreased prevalence of cardio-vascular diseases associated with Mediterranean diet, as well as the French paradox convinced researchers to scientifically document the beneficial outcomes pointed out by traditional use of plants, and to try to develop supplements that would have the same positive effects as these noticed for diet components. The intense research dedicated to this topic revealed the fact that food supplements are linked to some problematic aspects, such as toxicological side effects when associated with classical synthetic drugs. The food supplement-drug interactions are submitted to complex issues regarding pharmacokinetic interactions leading to changes in absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion processes with direct impact on effect and toxicological potential. The present review based on recent literature aims at discussing the food-drug interactions with direct impact on efficacy and toxicity of drugs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The predictive validity of common risk assessment tools in men with intellectual disabilities and problematic sexual behaviors.

PubMed

Fedoroff, J Paul; Richards, Deborah; Ranger, Rebekah; Curry, Susan

2016-10-01

This CIHR-funded study examined whether certain current risk assessment tools were effective in appraising risk of recidivism in a sample of sex offenders with intellectual disabilities (ID). Fifty men with ID who had engaged in problematic sexual behavior (PSB) were followed for an average of 2.5 years. Recidivism was defined and measured as any illegal or problematic behavior, as well as any problematic but not necessarily illegal behavior. At the beginning of the study, each participant was rated on two risk assessment tools: the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) and the Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide (SORAG). During each month of follow-up, participants were also rated on the Short-Dynamic Risk Scale (SDRS), an assessment tool intended to measure the risk of future problematic behaviors. Data was analyzed using t-tests, Cohen's d and area under the curve (AUC) to test predictive validity of the assessment tools. Using the AUC, results showed that the VRAG was predictive of sexual (AUC=0.74), sexual and/or violent (AUC=0.71) and of any criminally chargeable event (AUC=0.69). The SORAG was only significantly predictive of sexual events (AUC=0.70) and the SDRS was predictive of violent events (AUC=0.71). The t-test and Cohen's d analyses, which are less robust to deviations from the assumptions of normal and continuous distribution than AUC, did not yield significant results in each category, and therefore, while the results of this study suggest that the VRAG and the SORAG may be effective tools in measuring the short term risk of sexual recidivism; and the VRAG and SDRS may be effective tools in appraising long term risk of sexual and/or violent recidivism in this population, it should be used with caution. Regardless of the assessment tool used, risk assessments should take into account the differences between sex offenders with and without ID to ensure effective measurement. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The ESSA in Indian Country: Problematizing Self-Determination through the Relationships between Federal, State, and Tribal Governments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackey, Hollie J.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to (a) analyze the potential effects of the new relationship between state and federal governments on tribal sovereignty and self-determination and (b) problematize the devolution of power back to the states as they are entrusted to use the guiding frameworks of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to ensure…

Exploring the role of positive metacognitions in explaining the association between the fear of missing out and social media addiction.

PubMed

Casale, Silvia; Rugai, Laura; Fioravanti, Giulia

2018-10-01

The present study aimed to investigate: a) the contribution of the fear of missing out (FoMO) in explaining social media problematic use taking also into account the fear of being negatively evaluated and the perception of low self-presentational skills; b) the mediating role of positive metacognitions about social media use in the relationship between FoMO and social media problematic use. A sample of 579 undergraduates was recruited (54.6% F; mean age = 22.39 ± 2.82). Among females, the assessed structural model produced good fit to the data [χ 2  = 101.11, df = 52, p < .001; RMSEA = 0.05 (90% C.I. =0.04-0.07), CFI = 0.98, SRMR = 0.05]. FoMO and self-presentational skills were both directly and indirectly associated with social media problematic use through the mediation of positive metacognitions. Fear of negative evaluation was not associated with social media problematic use. Among males, FoMO had both a direct and an indirect effect on social media problematic use mediated by positive metacognitions. The fear of negative evaluation and self-presentational skills were only indirectly associated with social media problematic use through positive metacognitions. The assessed structural model produced good fit to the data [χ 2  = 98.02, df = 55, p < .001; RMSEA = 0.05 (90% C.I. =0.04-0.07), CFI = 0.98, SRMR = 0.07]. The present study confirmed the role of FoMO with respect to social media problematic use and highlighted for the first time the mediating role of positive metacognitions in this relationship. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The efficacy of surgical drainage in cervicofacial rhytidectomy: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

PubMed

Jones, Barry M; Grover, Rajiv; Hamilton, Stephen

2007-07-01

Postoperative drainage is often used instinctively in face lifting on the assumption that it may reduce the likelihood of complications. This potential benefit should be balanced against cost, discomfort, and the possibility of provoking bleeding and hematoma on removal. Evidence-based decisions on drainage are problematic, since no prospective studies have examined its role. This study was designed to address this issue directly. Fifty consecutive patients undergoing face lift over a 3-month period were randomized to drainage of one side of the face only, with the contralateral side serving as a paired control. Bruising, swelling, and hematoma or seroma were assessed objectively, independently of the operating surgeon and subjectively by the patients. Postoperative hematoma and edema were not influenced by the use of drains (p > 0.5). Patients reported no difference between the two sides with respect to swelling (p = 0.6) or discomfort (p = 0.5). However, drains produced a statistically significant reduction in postoperative bruising both on clinical assessment (p = 0.005) and patient assessment (p = 0.002). This article represents the first prospective, randomized, controlled trial assessing the use of postoperative drainage in facial rejuvenation surgery. Surgical drains do not influence postoperative complications, but they do significantly reduce bruising and so may facilitate the patient's return to normal activity.

Combined chirp coded tissue harmonic and fundamental ultrasound imaging for intravascular ultrasound: 20–60 MHz phantom and ex vivo results

PubMed Central

Park, Jinhyoung; Li, Xiang; Zhou, Qifa; Shung, K. Kirk

2013-01-01

The application of chirp coded excitation to pulse inversion tissue harmonic imaging can increase signal to noise ratio. On the other hand, the elevation of range side lobe level, caused by leakages of the fundamental signal, has been problematic in mechanical scanners which are still the most prevalent in high frequency intravascular ultrasound imaging. Fundamental chirp coded excitation imaging can achieve range side lobe levels lower than –60 dB with Hanning window, but it yields higher side lobes level than pulse inversion chirp coded tissue harmonic imaging (PI-CTHI). Therefore, in this paper a combined pulse inversion chirp coded tissue harmonic and fundamental imaging mode (CPI-CTHI) is proposed to retain the advantages of both chirp coded harmonic and fundamental imaging modes by demonstrating 20–60 MHz phantom and ex vivo results. A simulation study shows that the range side lobe level of CPI-CTHI is 16 dB lower than PI-CTHI, assuming that the transducer translates incident positions by 50 μm when two beamlines of pulse inversion pair are acquired. CPI-CTHI is implemented for a proto-typed intravascular ultrasound scanner capable of combined data acquisition in real-time. A wire phantom study shows that CPI-CTHI has a 12 dB lower range side lobe level and a 7 dB higher echo signal to noise ratio than PI-CTHI, while the lateral resolution and side lobe level are 50 μm finer and –3 dB less than fundamental chirp coded excitation imaging respectively. Ex vivo scanning of a rabbit trachea demonstrates that CPI-CTHI is capable of visualizing blood vessels as small as 200 μm in diameter with 6 dB better tissue contrast than either PI-CTHI or fundamental chirp coded excitation imaging. These results clearly indicate that CPI-CTHI may enhance tissue contrast with less range side lobe level than PI-CTHI. PMID:22871273

The Influence of Women’s Neighborhood Resources on Perceptions of Social Disorder

PubMed Central

Jackson, Aubrey L.; Soller, Brian; Browning, Christopher R.

2017-01-01

Research links neighborhood social disorder with poorer health. But factors beyond observed disorder may influence perceptions that social disorder is problematic. This study investigates whether women’s aggregate socioeconomic resources relative to men’s in the broader neighborhood context attenuate the extent to which more prevalent observed social disorder within the immediate residential neighborhood contributes to perceptions of more problematic social disorder. This attenuation likely is pronounced among women, for whom sexual harassment in public spaces is a more salient concern compared to men. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, multilevel models analyze individual perceptions of problematic social disorder (N=3,107) regressed on the interactive effect of observed social disorder within the census block group (N=525) and women’s relative resources within the neighborhood cluster (N=80). The results show that women’s relative resources within the broader neighborhood context protect against women’s perceptions that typically undesirable neighborhood conditions are problematic. PMID:28757810

Is “Maturing out” of Problematic Alcohol Involvement Related to Personality Change?

PubMed Central

Littlefield, Andrew K.; Sher, Kenneth J.; Wood, Phillip K.

2009-01-01

Problematic alcohol involvement typically peaks in the early 20s and declines with age. This maturing out of alcohol involvement is usually attributed to individuals attaining adult statuses incompatible with heavy drinking. Nevertheless, little is known about how changes in problematic alcohol use during emerging/early adulthood relate to changes in etiologically relevant personality traits that also change during this period. This study examined the relation between changes in problematic alcohol involvement and personality (measures of impulsivity, neuroticism, and extraversion) from ages 18 to 35 in a cohort of college students (N = 489) at varying risk for alcohol use disorders. Latent growth models indicated that both normative and individual changes in alcohol involvement occur between ages 18 and 35 and that these changes are associated with changes in neuroticism and impulsivity. Moreover, marital and parental role statuses did not appear to be third-variable explanations of the associated changes in alcohol involvement and personality. Findings suggest that personality change may be an important mechanism in the maturing-out effect. PMID:19413410

Longitudinal patterns of problematic computer game use among adolescents and adults--a 2-year panel study.

PubMed

Scharkow, Michael; Festl, Ruth; Quandt, Thorsten

2014-11-01

To investigate the longitudinal patterns (stability and change) of problematic computer game use and its interdependencies with psychosocial wellbeing in different age groups. Three-wave, annual panel study using computer-assisted telephone surveys. Germany. A total of 112 adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years, 363 younger adults between 19-39 years and 427 adults aged 40 years and older (overall n = 902). Problematic game use was measured with the Gaming Addiction Short Scale (GAS), which covers seven criteria including salience, withdrawal and conflict. Additionally, gaming behaviour and psychosocial wellbeing (social capital and support, life satisfaction and success) were measured in all three panel waves. The generally low GAS scores were very stable in yearly intervals [average autocorrelation across waves and age groups: r = 0.74, confidence interval (CI) = 0.71, 0.77]. Only nine respondents (1%, CI = 0.5, 1.9) consistently exhibited symptoms of problematic game use across all waves, while no respondent could be classified consistently as being addicted according to the GAS criteria. Changes in problematic gaming were not related consistently to changes in psychosocial wellbeing, although some cross-lagged effects were statistically significant in younger and older adult groups. Within a 2-year time-frame, problematic use of computer games appears to be a less stable behaviour than reported previously and not related systematically to negative changes in the gamers' lives. © 2014 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Ambivalent versus Problematic Social Ties: Implications for Psychological Health, Functional Health, and Interpersonal Coping

PubMed Central

Rook, Karen S.; Luong, Gloria; Sorkin, Dara H.; Newsom, Jason T.; Krause, Neal

2013-01-01

Older adults often seek to manage their social networks to foster positive interactions, but they nonetheless sometimes experience negative interactions that detract from their health and well-being. Negative interactions may occur with ambivalent social partners (i.e., partners involved in both positive and negative exchanges) or exclusively problematic social partners (i.e., partners involved negative exchanges only), but conflicting views exist in the literature regarding which type of social partner is likely to be more detrimental to older adults’ physical and emotional health. This study examined the implications of the two kinds of network members for physical and psychological health and interpersonal coping responses in a representative sample of 916 older adults. Within this elderly sample, older age was associated with fewer ambivalent kin ties and fewer exclusively problematic kin ties. Analyses revealed that ambivalent social ties were more strongly related to functional health limitations than were exclusively problematic social ties, whereas problematic ties were more consistently related to psychological health than were ambivalent ties. Furthermore, negative exchanges that occurred with exclusively problematic social ties, as compared to those that occurred with ambivalent social ties, were associated with more avoidant and fewer conciliatory coping responses, stronger and longer-lasting negative emotions, and lower perceived coping effectiveness. A comprehensive understanding of the significance of social network ties in older adults’ lives may benefit not only from attention to sources of social support but also from efforts to distinguish between different sources of conflict and disappointment. PMID:22775360

Predicting problematic alcohol use with the DSM-5 alternative model of personality pathology.

PubMed

Creswell, Kasey G; Bachrach, Rachel L; Wright, Aidan G C; Pinto, Anthony; Ansell, Emily

2016-01-01

High comorbidity between personality disorders and alcohol use disorders appears related to individual differences in underlying personality dimensions of behavioral undercontrol and affective dysregulation. However, very little is known about how the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition; DSM-5) Section III trait model of personality pathology relates to alcohol problems or how the strength of the relationship between personality pathology and alcohol problems changes with age and across gender. The current study examined these questions in a sample of 877 participants using the General Assessment of Personality Disorder to assess general personality dysfunction, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 to measure specific traits, and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) to assess problematic alcohol use. Results demonstrated that general personality pathology (Criterion A) was significantly related to problematic alcohol use after controlling for age and gender effects. Furthermore, 2 of the 5 higher-order personality trait domains (Criterion B), Antagonism and Disinhibition, remained significant predictors of problematic alcohol use after accounting for the influence of general personality pathology; however, general personality pathology no longer predicted hazardous alcohol use once Antagonism and Disinhibition were added into the model. Finally, these 2 specific traits interacted with age, such that Antagonism was a stronger predictor of AUDIT scores among older individuals and Disinhibition was a stronger predictor of alcohol problems among younger individuals. Findings support the general validity of this new personality disorder diagnostic system and suggest important age effects in the relationship between traits and problematic alcohol use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of a depression-focused internet intervention in slot machine gamblers: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Bücker, Lara; Bierbrodt, Julia; Hand, Iver; Wittekind, Charlotte; Moritz, Steffen

2018-01-01

Problematic and pathological gambling have been linked to depression. Despite a high demand for treatment and negative financial consequences, only a small fraction of problematic and pathological gamblers seek professional help. The existing treatment gap could be narrowed by providing low-threshold, anonymous internet-based interventions. The aim of the present study was to examine the acceptance and efficacy of an online-intervention for depression ("Deprexis") in a sample of problematic and pathological slot-machine gamblers. We hypothesized that the intervention group would show a greater reduction in both depressive and gambling-related symptoms compared to a wait-list control group. A total of 140 individuals with self-reported gambling and mood problems were randomly allocated either to the intervention group or to a wait-list control group. After 8 weeks, all participants were invited for re-assessment. The Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 (PHQ-9) served as the primary outcome assessment. Problematic gambling was measured with the Pathological Gambling Adaptation of Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (PG-YBOCS) and the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). The trial is registered with the German Registry for Clinical Studies (DRKS00013888). ITT analyses showed that the intervention led to a significant reduction in depressive symptoms as well as gambling-related symptoms compared to the control group, with moderate to strong effect sizes. PP analyses failed to yield significant results due to high rates of non-completion and limited statistical power. Moderator analyses indicated that Deprexis was particularly beneficial in reducing problematic gambling for those scoring high on baseline gambling-related symptoms and for those who gamble due to loneliness. Results of the present study suggest that Deprexis might be a useful adjunct to traditional interventions for the treatment of problematic gambling. The potential of internet-based interventions that are more targeted at issues specific to gambling should be evaluated in future studies. German Registry for Clinical Studies DRKS00013888.

'Mind the gap!' rethinking the role of health in the emergency and development divide.

PubMed

O'Dempsey, Tim; Munslow, Barry

2009-10-01

The 'Emergency Relief-Rehabilitation-Development' model is highly problematic, especially in fragile states which fluctuate in and out of crisis. Lack of definition as to what constitutes a humanitarian emergency and the absence of rules of engagement of NGOs and donors further complicates the problem. Restricted mandates and budgets of institutions and funding bodies lead to gaps in the provision of health services for affected populations. Reducing the gap between emergency and developmental healthcare requires approaching the issue from both sides, recognizing that the emergency-development gap is not a single uniform entity but a complex dynamic of heterogeneous gaps. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effectiveness of atomoxetine and methylphenidate for problematic online gaming in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Park, Jeong Ha; Lee, Young Sik; Sohn, Ji Hyun; Han, Doug Hyun

2016-11-01

There is a high prevalence of problematic online gaming in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In the current study, we compared the effectiveness of atomoxetine (ATM) and methylphenidate (MPH) on problematic online gaming in adolescents with ADHD. We recruited 86 adolescents diagnosed with ADHD together with Internet gaming disorder. These participants were divided into two treatment groups: 44 participants were treated with MPH for 12 weeks, and 42 participants were treated with ATM for 12 weeks. During the 3-month study period, the MPH group showed greater improvement in Korean ADHD rating scale scores than the ATM group. The ATM group showed greater improvement in Child Depression Inventory scores than the MPH group. However, Young Internet Addiction Scale and Behavioral Inhibition & Activation Scales score changes did not differ significantly between the MPH and ATM groups. In both groups, changes in Young Internet Addiction Scale scores were positively correlated with the changes in Behavioral Inhibition & Activation Scales scores. Both MPH and ATM reduced the severity of Internet gaming disorder symptoms, and this reduction was correlated with impulsivity reduction, which also resulted from both ADHD medications. These findings suggest impulsivity plays a critical role in the development of problematic online gaming. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rule breaking mediates the developmental association between GABRA2 and adolescent substance abuse.

PubMed

Trucco, Elisa M; Villafuerte, Sandra; Heitzeg, Mary M; Burmeister, Margit; Zucker, Robert A

2014-12-01

This study's primary aim was to examine age-specific associations between GABRA2, rule breaking, problematic alcohol use, and substance abuse symptomatology. The secondary aim was to examine the extent to which rule breaking mediates the GABRA2-substance abuse relationship. A sample (n = 518) of primarily male (70.9%) and White (88.8%) adolescents from the Michigan Longitudinal Study was assessed from ages 11-18. Age-specific effects of GABRA2 on rule breaking, problematic alcohol use, and substance abuse symptomatology were examined using nested path models. The role of rule breaking as a mediator in the association between GABRA2 and substance abuse outcomes was tested using prospective cross-lagged path models. GABRA2 is significantly (p < 0.05) associated with rule breaking in mid- to late-adolescence, but not substance abuse symptomatology across adolescence. GABRA2 effects on problematic alcohol use and substance abuse symptomatology operate largely (45.3% and 71.1%, respectively, p < 0.05) via rule breaking in midadolescence. GABRA2 represents an early risk factor for an externalizing pathway to the development of problematic alcohol and drug use. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Aripiprazole long-acting injection: promising but more evidence needed.

PubMed

Keks, Nicholas A; Hope, Judy; Culhane, Christine

2016-08-01

Aripiprazole long acting injection (ALAI) is now available, and this paper aims to assist clinicians in deciding when to use ALAI. Aripiprazole is a partial dopamine agonist with low sedation, relatively favourable metabolic profile and a tendency to lower, rather than raise, prolactin. Available for over a decade, aripiprazole has been increasingly recognised by many clinicians as a useful option in the treatment of psychoses. ALAI is a suspension of crystalline aripiprazole in water which takes 5-7 days to reach steady state after an initial intramuscular injection. Monthly injections achieve steady state in four months. Studies have demonstrated that ALAI is effective in aripiprazole-responsive patients. ALAI was generally well tolerated, but more prone to cause extrapyramidal side-effects than the oral form. ALAI has not been compared with other depots. Although the recommended starting dose is 400 mg, it is likely that there will be significant inter-individual dose variation. Dose optimisation in each patient will be necessary for best effectiveness and tolerability. ALAI is currently appropriate for aripiprazole-responsive patients who need a depot, but clinicians are likely to try ALAI in patients who have been on other depots, particularly in whom weight gain and hyperprolactinaemia have been problematic. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Effects of Rational-Emotive Hospice Care Therapy on Problematic Assumptions, Death Anxiety, and Psychological Distress in a Sample of Cancer Patients and Their Family Caregivers in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Onyechi, Kay Chinonyelum Nwamaka; Onuigbo, Liziana N.; Eseadi, Chiedu; Ikechukwu-Ilomuanya, Amaka B.; Nwaubani, Okechukwu Onyinye; Umoke, Prince C.I.; Agu, Fedinand U.; Otu, Mkpoikanke Sunday; Utoh-Ofong, Anthonia N.

2016-01-01

This study was a preliminary investigation that aimed to examine the effects of rational emotive hospice care therapy (REHCT) on problematic assumptions, death anxiety, and psychological distress in a sample of cancer patients and their family caregivers in Nigeria. The study adopted a pre-posttest randomized control group design. Participants were community-dwelling cancer patients (n = 32) and their family caregivers (n = 52). The treatment process consisted of 10 weeks of full intervention and 4 weeks of follow-up meetings that marked the end of intervention. The study used repeated-measures analysis of variance for data analysis. The findings revealed significant effects of a REHCT intervention program on problematic assumptions, death anxiety, and psychological distress reduction among the cancer patients and their family caregivers at the end of the intervention. The improvements were also maintained at follow-up meetings in the treatment group compared with the control group who received the usual care and conventional counseling. The researchers have been able to show that REHCT intervention is more effective than a control therapy for cancer patients’ care, education, and counseling in the Nigerian context. PMID:27657099

No Medication for My Child! A Naturalistic Study on the Treatment Preferences for and Effects of Cogmed Working Memory Training Versus Psychostimulant Medication in Clinically Referred Youth with ADHD.

PubMed

Muris, Peter; Roodenrijs, Dorien; Kelgtermans, Lut; Sliwinski, Sonja; Berlage, Ulrike; Baillieux, Hanna; Deckers, Anne; Gunther, Marieke; Paanakker, Bertien; Holterman, Ida

2018-05-16

In this naturalistic clinical study, we explored the applicability and clinical effectiveness of Cogmed WMT, pharmacotherapy, and their combination for clinically referred children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Ninety youth with ADHD (ages 6-16 years) and their parents were offered the possibility to choose one of the three interventions. The motives for choosing various interventions were quite different. Medication was chosen because this treatment was expected to be most effective, but also because the Cogmed WMT program was regarded as too taxing. The choice for Cogmed WMT was mainly negatively motivated: participants tended to be strongly against the use of medication, found it a too rigorous step, or feared side effects and addiction problems. The choice for the combination treatment was strongly positively motivated: parents and youth indicated that they wanted to receive the best possible intervention and part of them also had high expectations of Cogmed WMT. In terms of clinical effectiveness, pharmacotherapy with stimulant medication and the combination treatment produced larger reductions in ADHD symptomatology than Cogmed WMT. Further, results indicated that Cogmed WMT selectively enhanced working memory performance. Finally, after conducting Cogmed WMT, youths and parents were more 'open' to accept pharmacotherapy as intervention, probably because the training increased greater insight in and awareness of the problematic features of ADHD.

Medical marijuana.

PubMed

Marmor, J B

1998-06-01

Although many clinical studies suggest the medical utility of marijuana for some conditions, the scientific evidence is weak. Many patients in California are self-medicating with marijuana, and physicians need data to assess the risks and benefits. The only reasonable solution to this problem is to encourage research on the medical effects of marijuana. The current regulatory system should be modified to remove barriers to clinical research with marijuana. The NIH panel has identified several conditions for which there may be therapeutic benefit from marijuana use and that merit further research. Marijuana should be held to the same evaluation standards of safety and efficacy as other drugs (a major flaw in Proposition 215) but should not have to be proved better than current medications for its use to be adopted. The therapeutic window for marijuana and THC between desired effect and unpleasant side effects is narrow and is a major reason for discontinuing use. Although the inhaled route of administration has the benefit of allowing patients to self-titrate the dose, the smoking of crude plant material is problematic. The NIH panel recommended that a high priority be given to the development of a controlled inhaled form of THC. The presence of a naturally occurring cannabinoid-receptor system in the brain suggests that research on selective analogues of THC may be useful to enhance its therapeutic effects and minimize adverse effects.

Medical marijuana.

PubMed Central

Marmor, J B

1998-01-01

Although many clinical studies suggest the medical utility of marijuana for some conditions, the scientific evidence is weak. Many patients in California are self-medicating with marijuana, and physicians need data to assess the risks and benefits. The only reasonable solution to this problem is to encourage research on the medical effects of marijuana. The current regulatory system should be modified to remove barriers to clinical research with marijuana. The NIH panel has identified several conditions for which there may be therapeutic benefit from marijuana use and that merit further research. Marijuana should be held to the same evaluation standards of safety and efficacy as other drugs (a major flaw in Proposition 215) but should not have to be proved better than current medications for its use to be adopted. The therapeutic window for marijuana and THC between desired effect and unpleasant side effects is narrow and is a major reason for discontinuing use. Although the inhaled route of administration has the benefit of allowing patients to self-titrate the dose, the smoking of crude plant material is problematic. The NIH panel recommended that a high priority be given to the development of a controlled inhaled form of THC. The presence of a naturally occurring cannabinoid-receptor system in the brain suggests that research on selective analogues of THC may be useful to enhance its therapeutic effects and minimize adverse effects. PMID:9656007

Co-occurrence of addictive behaviours: personality factors related to substance use, gambling and computer gaming.

PubMed

Walther, Birte; Morgenstern, Matthis; Hanewinkel, Reiner

2012-01-01

To investigate co-occurrence and shared personality characteristics of problematic computer gaming, problematic gambling and substance use. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 2,553 German students aged 12-25 years. Self-report measures of substance use (alcohol, tobacco and cannabis), problematic gambling (South Oaks Gambling Screen - Revised for Adolescents, SOGS-RA), problematic computer gaming (Video Game Dependency Scale, KFN-CSAS-II), and of twelve different personality characteristics were obtained. Analyses revealed positive correlations between tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use and a smaller positive correlation between problematic gambling and problematic computer gaming. Problematic computer gaming co-occurred only with cannabis use, whereas problematic gambling was associated with all three types of substance use. Multivariate multilevel analyses showed differential patterns of personality characteristics. High impulsivity was the only personality characteristic associated with all five addictive behaviours. Depression and extraversion were specific to substance users. Four personality characteristics were specifically associated with problematic computer gaming: irritability/aggression, social anxiety, ADHD, and low self-esteem. Problematic gamblers seem to be more similar to substance users than problematic computer gamers. From a personality perspective, results correspond to the inclusion of gambling in the same DSM-V category as substance use and question a one-to-one proceeding for computer gaming. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Association between problematic alcohol use and reactivity to uncertain threat in two independent samples

PubMed Central

Gorka, Stephanie M.; Lieberman, Lynne; Phan, K. Luan; Shankman, Stewart A.

2016-01-01

Background Recent laboratory studies have shown that acute alcohol intoxication selectively and effectively dampens aversive responding to an uncertain threat. An emerging hypothesis is that individuals who exhibit heightened reactivity to an uncertain threat may be especially motivated to use alcohol to dampen their distress, setting the stage for negative reinforcement processes to drive excessive alcohol use. However, no study to date has directly examined whether current problematic drinkers exhibit heightened reactivity to an uncertain threat as would be expected. Methods The present study was therefore designed to examine the association between current problematic alcohol use and reactivity to an uncertain threat during sobriety in two, independent samples. In Study 1 (n = 221) and Study 2 (n = 74), adult participants completed the same well-validated threat-of-shock task which separately probes responses to temporally predictable and unpredictable threat. Startle potentiation was measured as an index of aversive responding. Problematic alcohol use was defined as number of binge episodes within the past 30 days in Study 1 and total scores on a self-report measure of hazardous drinking in Study 2. Results As hypothesized, across both studies greater levels of problematic drinking were associated with greater startle potentiation to an unpredictable threat. In Study 2, hazardous drinking scores were also positively associated with startle potentiation to predictable threat. Conclusions The findings are notably consistent with the notion that heightened reactivity to an uncertain threat is an important individual difference factor associated with the onset and/or maintenance of problematic drinking behaviors and may therefore be a novel prevention and intervention target. PMID:27173662

Past year cannabis use and problematic cannabis use among adults by ethnicity in Ontario.

PubMed

Tuck, Andrew; Hamilton, Hayley A; Agic, Branka; Ialomiteanu, Anca R; Mann, Robert E

2017-10-01

Rates of cannabis use differ around the world; in Ontario, the rate of use has been stable since about 2005. Understanding which population groups are at greater risk for problematic cannabis use can help reduce long-term health effects and service expenses. The aim of this study was to explore differences in cannabis use among Canadian adults of different ethnic origins living in Ontario. Data are based on telephone interviews with 11,560 respondents and are derived from multiple cycles (2005-2011) of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's (CAMH) Monitor survey, an ongoing cross-sectional survey of adults in Ontario, Canada, aged 18 years and older. Data were analyzed using bivariate cross-tabulations and logistic regression. Problematic cannabis use was determined with a score of 8+ on the ASSIST-CIS to identify moderate/high problematic users. Lifetime, past year and problematic cannabis use (in the past 3 months) occurs among all ethnic groups: Canadian, East Asian, South East Asian, South Asian, Caribbean, African, East European, South European, North European, and Central West European. When compared to the Canadian group the odds of past year cannabis use was significantly lower for East Asians and South Asians, but higher for the Caribbean group. Significantly higher odds of problematic cannabis use were found for Caribbeans and Northern Europeans compared to Canadians. These results of this study provide an important basis for considering the possible impact of the impending legalization of cannabis in Canada among different ethnic groups. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Policy responses to problematic video game use: A systematic review of current measures and future possibilities.

PubMed

Király, Orsolya; Griffiths, Mark D; King, Daniel L; Lee, Hae-Kook; Lee, Seung-Yup; Bányai, Fanni; Zsila, Ágnes; Takacs, Zsofia K; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2017-09-01

Background and aims Empirical research into problematic video game playing suggests that overuse might cause functional and psychological impairments for a minority of gamers. Therefore, the need for regulation in the case of video games (whether governmental or self-imposed) has arisen but has only been implemented in a few countries around the world, and predominantly in Asia. This paper provides a systematic review of current and potential policies addressing problematic gaming. Methods After conducting a systematic search in the areas of prevention, treatment, and policy measures relating to problematic Internet and video game use, papers were selected that targeted problematic gaming policies (N = 12; six in English and six in Korean). These papers served as the basis of this review. Results Policies were classified into three major groups: (i) policy measures limiting availability of video games (e.g., shutdown policy, fatigue system, and parental controls), (ii) measures aiming to reduce risk and harm (e.g., warning messages), and (iii) measures taken to provide help services for gamers. Beyond the attempt to classify the current and potential policy measures, the authors also tried to evaluate their efficiency theoretically and (if data were available) empirically. Discussion and conclusions Overall, it appears that although several steps have been taken to address problematic video game playing, most of these steps were not as effective as expected, or had not been evaluated empirically for efficacy. The reason for this may lie in the fact that the policies outlined only addressed or influenced specific aspects of the problem instead of using a more integrative approach.

Sex Differences in Mediating and Moderating Processes Linking Economic Stressors, Psychological Distress, and Drinking

PubMed Central

Brown, Robyn Lewis; Richman, Judith A.

2012-01-01

Objective: Given the recent downturn in the U.S. economy, we considered in this study the processes linking economic stressors, psychological distress, and two alcohol-related outcomes (past-month drinking and problematic drinking). Method: Data were drawn from a mail survey of a national sample of 663 respondents. Structural equation modeling was used to assess whether psychological distress mediates the associations between economic stressors and the alcohol-related outcomes considered and whether these associations varied by gender. Results: Controlling for correlations among the outcomes and the effects of the sociodemographic control variables, psychological distress was found to partly explain the association between economic stressors and problematic drinking. The mediating effects on problematic drinking were significantly greater for men than women. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate the utility of considering interrelationships among alcohol-related outcomes and, in this context, reveal the circumstances in which gender matters most for understanding the associations among economy-related stressors, psychological distress, and drinking. PMID:22846245

General Parenting Strategies: Practical Suggestions for Common Child Behavior Issues.

PubMed

Kavan, Michael G; Saxena, Shailendra K; Rafiq, Naureen

2018-05-15

Parents often seek guidance from physicians on child behavior problems. Questions may range from general parenting strategies to managing specific child behaviors. Physicians and their staff can identify problematic parent-child interactions or behaviors within the office setting and assist parents by providing effective monitoring tools for behavior problems. Effective strategies for influencing a child's behavior include positive reinforcement to increase appropriate behavior, extinction (planned ignoring) for most low-level problematic behaviors, and time-out from reinforcement for more problematic behaviors. Written contracting provides parents the opportunity to communicate with their children about important behaviors and strengthens the commitment of each party to improve behavior. Parents should be cautioned about the use of punishment (e.g., scolding, taking away privileges or possessions) because it suppresses behavior only temporarily. Physicians should discourage physical or corporal punishment because it is related to negative parent-child relationships, increased aggressiveness, antisocial behavior, lower cognitive ability, lower self-esteem, mental health problems, and increased risk of physical abuse.

The chance of small interfering RNAs as eligible candidates for a personalized treatment of prostate cancer.

PubMed

Pietschke, Katharina; Walker, Tobias; Krajewski, Stefanie; Kurz, Julia; Aufderklamm, Stefan; Schwentner, Christian; Schlensak, Christian; Stenzl, Arnulf; Wendel, Hans P; Nolte, Andrea

2014-01-01

Prostate cancer is one of the leading malignant tumors in men. Current therapies are associated with severe side effects making it problematic for many multi-morbid patients to receive treatment. Prostate specific antigen, serum response factor (SRF), signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), HIF-2α, E2F1 and Survivin are well known proteins being overexpressed in cancer cells, expediting cell growth and also demonstrated in prostate cancer cells. Targeting these genes using the RNA-Interference pathway could be a new approach for prostate cancer therapy with fewer side effects. Three prostate cancer cell lines were cultured under standard conditions and transfected with three different concentrations (25 nM, 50 nM, 100 nM) of specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting SRF, STAT3, HIF1α, HIF2α, E2F1 and Survivin in a non-viral manner. Cells treated with non-specific siRNA (SCR-siRNA) served as control. Changes of messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The analysis of the effect of siRNA on the number of cells was detected using CASY cell counter system. Transfections of the PC-3 cell line with specific siRNA especially against Survivin, E2F1, HIF1α- and HIF2α-siRNA resulted in a significant reduction of intracellular mRNA concentration together with a significant decreased number of cells. In the LnCAP and DU-145 cell lines Survivin and E2F1 showed similar effects. The impact of silencing STAT3 or SRF showed little influence on the amount of cells in all three cell lines. This study shows that RNAi succeeds in silencing gene expression and reducing the number of cells in differing dimensions depending on the transfected cell line and used siRNA.

Problematic Use of Prescription Opioids and Medicinal Cannabis Among Patients Suffering from Chronic Pain.

PubMed

Feingold, Daniel; Goor-Aryeh, Itay; Bril, Silviu; Delayahu, Yael; Lev-Ran, Shaul

2017-02-01

To assess prevalence rates and correlates of problematic use of prescription opioids and medicinal cannabis (MC) among patients receiving treatment for chronic pain. Cross-sectional study. Two leading pain clinics in Israel. Our sample included 888 individuals receiving treatment for chronic pain, of whom 99.4% received treatment with prescription opioids or MC. Problematic use of prescription opioids and MC was assessed using DSM-IV criteria, Portenoy’s Criteria (PC), and the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) questionnaire. Additional sociodemographic and clinical correlates of problematic use were also assessed. Among individuals treated with prescription opioids, prevalence of problematic use of opioids according to DSM-IV, PC, and COMM was 52.6%, 17.1%, and 28.7%, respectively. Among those treated with MC, prevalence of problematic use of cannabis according to DSM-IV and PC was 21.2% and 10.6%, respectively. Problematic use of opioids and cannabis was more common in individuals using medications for longer periods of time, reporting higher levels of depression and anxiety, and using alcohol or drugs. Problematic use of opioids was associated with higher self-reported levels of pain, and problematic use of cannabis was more common among individuals using larger amounts of MC. Problematic use of opioids is common among chronic pain patients treated with prescription opioids and is more prevalent than problematic use of cannabis among those receiving MC. Pain patients should be screened for risk factors for problematic use before initiating long-term treatment for pain-control.

Digital Interventions for Problematic Cannabis Users in Non-Clinical Settings: Findings from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Hoch, Eva; Preuss, Ulrich W; Ferri, Marica; Simon, Roland

2016-01-01

Existing cannabis treatment programs reach only a very limited proportion of people with cannabis-related problems. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of digital interventions applied outside the health care system in reducing problematic cannabis use. We systematically searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (2015), PubMed (2009-2015), Medline (2009-2015), Google Scholar (2015) and article reference lists for potentially eligible studies. Randomized controlled trials examining the effects of internet- or computer-based interventions were assessed. Study effects were estimated by calculating effect sizes (ESs) using Cohen's d and Hedges' g bias-corrected ES. The primary outcome assessed was self-reported cannabis use, measured by a questionnaire. Fifty-two studies were identified. Four studies (including 1,928 participants) met inclusion criteria. They combined brief motivational interventions and cognitive behavioral therapy delivered online. All studies were of good quality. The pooled mean difference (x0394; = 4.07) and overall ES (0.11) give evidence of small effects at 3-month follow-up in favor of digital interventions. Digital interventions can help to successfully reduce problematic cannabis use outside clinical settings. They have some potential to overcome treatment barriers and increase accessibility for at-risk cannabis users. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Action against contraceptive implant threatened.

PubMed

Dyer, C

1995-08-19

Norplant provides contraception over a five-year period through the gradual subcutaneous release of the progestogen levonorgestrel. It has been on the US market since 1991 and available in Great Britain since 1993. Already the subject of group legal actions in several US states, Norplant may soon be the target of lawyers in Britain for litigation. The lawyers allege that insertion of the implant under the skin of the upper arm by untrained doctors has led to painful and difficult removals and left women with scarred arms. Moreover, insufficient warning has been given about possible side effects such as mood swings and continuous vaginal bleeding. Hoechst Roussel, marketer of the implant in Britain, however, argues that only doctors trained in Norplant insertion and removal should attempt either procedure. Removal will be problematic only if preceded by a problem insertion. Hoechst Roussel recently advised gynecologists, in writing, not to attempt to extract the implant unless they are trained in the removal technique. By British law, the application of a drug product once approved for general release to general practitioners and family planning doctors cannot be restricted by a pharmaceutical company.

Is the Precautionary Principle Really Incoherent?

PubMed

Boyer-Kassem, Thomas

2017-11-01

The Precautionary Principle has been an increasingly important principle in international treaties since the 1980s. Through varying formulations, it states that when an activity can lead to a catastrophe for human health or the environment, measures should be taken to prevent it even if the cause-and-effect relationship is not fully established scientifically. The Precautionary Principle has been critically discussed from many sides. This article concentrates on a theoretical argument by Peterson (2006) according to which the Precautionary Principle is incoherent with other desiderata of rational decision making, and thus cannot be used as a decision rule that selects an action among several ones. I claim here that Peterson's argument fails to establish the incoherence of the Precautionary Principle, by attacking three of its premises. I argue (i) that Peterson's treatment of uncertainties lacks generality, (ii) that his Archimedian condition is problematic for incommensurability reasons, and (iii) that his explication of the Precautionary Principle is not adequate. This leads me to conjecture that the Precautionary Principle can be envisaged as a coherent decision rule, again. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Initial Steps Toward Next-Generation, Waveform-Based, Three-Dimensional Models and Metrics to Improve Nuclear Explosion Monitoring in the Middle East

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-30

propagation effects by splitting apart the longer period surface waves from the shorter period, depth-sensitive Pnl waves. Problematic, or high-error... Pnl waves. Problematic, or high-error, stations and paths were further analyzed to identify systematic errors with unknown sensor responses and...frequency Pnl components and slower, longer period surface waves. All cut windows are fit simultaneously, allowing equal weighting of phases that may be

Acceptance and commitment therapy as a treatment for problematic internet pornography viewing.

PubMed

Twohig, Michael P; Crosby, Jesse M

2010-09-01

Despite the prevalence of problematic Internet pornography viewing and the breadth of intervention approaches to potentially address it, no studies to address this problem have been reported to date. An emerging treatment approach, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), holds promise as a treatment for Internet pornography viewing because of its focus on processes hypothesized to underlie this maladaptive behavior. In the first experiment on the treatment of problematic Internet pornography viewing, 6 adult males who reported that their Internet pornography viewing was affecting their quality of life were treated in eight 1.5-hour sessions of ACT for problematic pornography viewing. The effects of the intervention were assessed in a multiple-baseline-across-participants design with time viewing pornography as the dependent variable. Treatment resulted in an 85% reduction in viewing at posttreatment with results being maintained at 3-month follow-up (83% reduction). Increases were seen on measures of quality of life, and reductions were seen on measures of OCD and scrupulosity. Weekly measures of ACT-consistent processes showed reductions that corresponded with reductions in viewing. Large reductions were seen on a measure of psychological flexibility, and minor reductions were seen on measures of thought-action fusion and thought control. Overall, results suggest the promise of ACT as a treatment for problematic Internet pornography viewing and the value of future randomized trials of this approach.

The effect of online gambling on gambling problems and resulting economic health costs in Germany.

PubMed

Effertz, Tobias; Bischof, Anja; Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen; Meyer, Christian; John, Ulrich

2018-01-23

Problematic and pathological gambling have emerged as substantial problems in many countries. One potential accelerating factor for this phenomenon during recent years is the Internet, which offers different kinds of games and online applications for gambling that are faster, more attractive due to a variety of design and marketing options, less costly and potentially more addictive than terrestrial gambling opportunities. However, the contributing role of the Internet for problematic gambling has not been analyzed sufficiently so far and remains inconclusive. The current study is based on a representative sample with 15,023 individuals from Germany. With a new concept of assessing online gambling with its relative fraction of total gambling activities and a control-function approach to account for possible endogeneity of online gambling, we estimate the impact of online gambling on gambling behavior while additionally controlling for a rich set of important covariates, like education, employment situation and family status. The results show that, on average, replacing 10% of offline gambling with online gambling increases the likelihood of being a problematic gambler by 8.8-12.6%. This increase is equivalent to 139,322 problematic gamblers and 27.24 million € per year of additional expenditures in the German health sector. Our findings underpin the necessity to keep online gambling restricted to prevent further developments of problematic and pathological gambling in Germany.

Problematizing as a scientific endeavor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Anna McLean; Watkins, Jessica; Hammer, David

2017-12-01

The work of physics learners at all levels revolves around problems. Physics education research has inspired attention to the forms of these problems, whether conceptual or algorithmic, closed or open response, well or ill structured. Meanwhile, it has been the work of curriculum developers and instructors to develop these problems. Physics education research has supported these efforts with studies of students problem solving and the effects of different kinds of problems on learning. In this article we argue, first, that developing problems is central to the discipline of physics. It involves noticing a gap of understanding, identifying and articulating its precise nature, and motivating a community of its existence and significance. We refer to this activity as problematizing, and we show its importance by drawing from writings in physics and philosophy of science. Second, we argue that students, from elementary age to adults, can problematize as part of their engaging in scientific inquiry. We present four cases, drawing from episodes vetted by a panel of collaborating faculty in science departments as clear instances of students doing science. Although neither we nor the scientists had problematizing in mind when screening cases, we found it across the episodes. We close with implications for instruction, including the value of helping students recognize and manage the situation of being confused but not yet having a clear question, and implications for research, including the need to build problematizing into our models of learning.

Behavioral therapy for weight loss in patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Ganguli, Rohan

2007-01-01

Compared with the general population, individuals with schizophrenia demonstrate an increased prevalence of obesity. While most antipsychotics are associated with weight gain, certain second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) appear to be especially problematic. Weight gain and obesity are highly distressing to these patients, can reduce treatment adherence, and may increase the relative risk of serious medical conditions and all-cause premature mortality. The selection of an antipsychotic on the basis of its effectiveness and relative side effect profile is recognized as an important initial consideration in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, less is known regarding the efficacy of dietary, pharmacologic, and behavioral therapy in reducing antipsychotic-related weight gain and obesity. Behavioral therapy, in particular, is understudied, and there are relatively few controlled trials of its effectiveness in reducing SGA-induced weight gain. Although weight loss resulting from behavioral therapy has been observed mostly as a result of effective short-term interventions, controlled behavioral studies do exist to suggest that weight can be controlled long term. In addition, a small pilot study in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder recently demonstrated that behavioral therapy that utilizes stepped interventions, involving body weight self-monitoring, diet, and exercise, can prevent weight gain in patients initiating treatment with SGAs. Additional studies of behavioral therapy for long-term weight control in patients with schizophrenia and other forms of severe mental illness are warranted.

What we need to know about the effect of lithium on the kidney.

PubMed

Gong, Rujun; Wang, Pei; Dworkin, Lance

2016-12-01

Lithium has been a valuable treatment for bipolar affective disorders for decades. Clinical use of lithium, however, has been problematic due to its narrow therapeutic index and concerns for its toxicity in various organ systems. Renal side effects associated with lithium include polyuria, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, proteinuria, distal renal tubular acidosis, and reduction in glomerular filtration rate. Histologically, chronic lithium nephrotoxicity is characterized by interstitial nephritis with microcyst formation and occasional focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Nevertheless, this type of toxicity is uncommon, with the strongest risk factors being high serum levels of lithium and longer time on lithium therapy. In contrast, in experimental models of acute kidney injury and glomerular disease, lithium has antiproteinuric, kidney protective, and reparative effects. This paradox may be partially explained by lower lithium doses and short duration of therapy. While long-term exposure to higher psychiatric doses of lithium may be nephrotoxic, short-term low dose of lithium may be beneficial and ameliorate kidney and podocyte injury. Mechanistically, lithium targets glycogen synthase kinase-3β, a ubiquitously expressed serine/threonine protein kinase implicated in the processes of tissue injury, repair, and regeneration in multiple organ systems, including the kidney. Future studies are warranted to discover the exact "kidney-protective dose" of lithium and test the effects of low-dose lithium on acute and chronic kidney disease in humans. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

What we need to know about the effect of lithium on the kidney

PubMed Central

Gong, Rujun; Wang, Pei

2016-01-01

Lithium has been a valuable treatment for bipolar affective disorders for decades. Clinical use of lithium, however, has been problematic due to its narrow therapeutic index and concerns for its toxicity in various organ systems. Renal side effects associated with lithium include polyuria, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, proteinuria, distal renal tubular acidosis, and reduction in glomerular filtration rate. Histologically, chronic lithium nephrotoxicity is characterized by interstitial nephritis with microcyst formation and occasional focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Nevertheless, this type of toxicity is uncommon, with the strongest risk factors being high serum levels of lithium and longer time on lithium therapy. In contrast, in experimental models of acute kidney injury and glomerular disease, lithium has antiproteinuric, kidney protective, and reparative effects. This paradox may be partially explained by lower lithium doses and short duration of therapy. While long-term exposure to higher psychiatric doses of lithium may be nephrotoxic, short-term low dose of lithium may be beneficial and ameliorate kidney and podocyte injury. Mechanistically, lithium targets glycogen synthase kinase-3β, a ubiquitously expressed serine/threonine protein kinase implicated in the processes of tissue injury, repair, and regeneration in multiple organ systems, including the kidney. Future studies are warranted to discover the exact “kidney-protective dose” of lithium and test the effects of low-dose lithium on acute and chronic kidney disease in humans. PMID:27122541

The association between problematic cellular phone use and risky behaviors and low self-esteem among Taiwanese adolescents.

PubMed

Yang, Yuan-Sheng; Yen, Ju-Yu; Ko, Chih-Hung; Cheng, Chung-Ping; Yen, Cheng-Fang

2010-04-28

Cellular phone use (CPU) is an important part of life for many adolescents. However, problematic CPU may complicate physiological and psychological problems. The aim of our study was to examine the associations between problematic CPU and a series of risky behaviors and low self-esteem in Taiwanese adolescents. A total of 11,111 adolescent students in Southern Taiwan were randomly selected into this study. We used the Problematic Cellular Phone Use Questionnaire to identify the adolescents with problematic CPU. Meanwhile, a series of risky behaviors and self-esteem were evaluated. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were employed to examine the associations between problematic CPU and risky behaviors and low self-esteem regarding gender and age. The results indicated that positive associations were found between problematic CPU and aggression, insomnia, smoking cigarettes, suicidal tendencies, and low self-esteem in all groups with different sexes and ages. However, gender and age differences existed in the associations between problematic CPU and suspension from school, criminal records, tattooing, short nocturnal sleep duration, unprotected sex, illicit drugs use, drinking alcohol and chewing betel nuts. There were positive associations between problematic CPU and a series of risky behaviors and low self-esteem in Taiwanese adolescents. It is worthy for parents and mental health professionals to pay attention to adolescents' problematic CPU.

Gender Differences in Problematic Alcohol Consumption in University Professors

PubMed Central

Vaca, Silvia L.; Cacho, Raúl

2017-01-01

The role of job satisfaction and other psychosocial variables in problematic alcohol consumption within professional settings remains understudied. The aim of this study is to assess the level of problematic alcohol consumption among male and female university professors and associated psychosocial variables. A total of 360 professors (183 men and 177 women) of a large private university in Ecuador were surveyed using standardized instruments for the following psychosocial measures: alcohol consumption, job satisfaction, psychological stress, psychological flexibility, social support and resilience. Problematic alcohol consumption was found in 13.1% of participants, although this was significantly higher (χ2 = 15.6; d.f. = 2, p < 0.001) in men (19.1%) than women (6.8%). Problematic alcohol consumption was reported in men with higher perceived stress and job satisfaction. However, 83.3% of women with problematic alcohol use reported lower job satisfaction and higher psychological inflexibility. Results suggest that job satisfaction itself did not prevent problematic alcohol consumption in men; stress was associated with problematic consumption in men and psychological inflexibility in women. Findings from this study support the need to assess aspects of alcohol consumption and problematic behavior differently among men and women. Intervention strategies aimed at preventing or reducing problematic alcohol consumption in university professors must be different for men and women. PMID:28914801

Gender Differences in Problematic Alcohol Consumption in University Professors.

PubMed

Ruisoto, Pablo; Vaca, Silvia L; López-Goñi, José J; Cacho, Raúl; Fernández-Suárez, Iván

2017-09-15

The role of job satisfaction and other psychosocial variables in problematic alcohol consumption within professional settings remains understudied. The aim of this study is to assess the level of problematic alcohol consumption among male and female university professors and associated psychosocial variables. A total of 360 professors (183 men and 177 women) of a large private university in Ecuador were surveyed using standardized instruments for the following psychosocial measures: alcohol consumption, job satisfaction, psychological stress, psychological flexibility, social support and resilience. Problematic alcohol consumption was found in 13.1% of participants, although this was significantly higher (χ² = 15.6; d.f. = 2, p < 0.001) in men (19.1%) than women (6.8%). Problematic alcohol consumption was reported in men with higher perceived stress and job satisfaction. However, 83.3% of women with problematic alcohol use reported lower job satisfaction and higher psychological inflexibility. Results suggest that job satisfaction itself did not prevent problematic alcohol consumption in men; stress was associated with problematic consumption in men and psychological inflexibility in women. Findings from this study support the need to assess aspects of alcohol consumption and problematic behavior differently among men and women. Intervention strategies aimed at preventing or reducing problematic alcohol consumption in university professors must be different for men and women.

Behavioral Disinhibition Can Foster Intentions to Healthy Lifestyle Change by Overcoming Commitment to Past Behavior.

PubMed

Fennis, Bob M; Andreassen, Tor W; Lervik-Olsen, Line

2015-01-01

To curb the trend towards obesity and unhealthy living, people may need to change their entire lifestyle to a healthier alternative, something that is frequently perceived to be problematic. The present research, using a large, representative community sample, hypothesized and found that a key factor responsible for why people do not intend to change lifestyles is a sense of commitment to past behavior. However we also found that the contribution of commitment was attenuated for individuals with a stronger tendency for behavioral disinhibition thus underscoring the "bright side" of this individual difference characteristic that traditionally has been mainly associated with impulsive and indulging behavior. Overall, the present findings add to our understanding of factors inhibiting and promoting healthy behavior change.

Problematic prescription opioid use in an HIV-infected cohort: the importance of universal toxicology testing.

PubMed

Robinson-Papp, Jessica; Elliott, Kathryn; Simpson, David M; Morgello, Susan

2012-10-01

Providers treating chronic pain must attempt to relieve suffering, while minimizing problematic prescription opioid use, including addiction and diversion. Previously described risk factors for problematic use include history of substance use, younger age, male sex, psychiatric comorbidity, and lower education level. We examined these risk factors in HIV-infected individuals, using cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the Manhattan HIV Brain Bank. Problematic use was defined as illicit substance use (documented by urine toxicology or structured psychiatric interview), while receiving prescription opioids. Among 173 participants prescribed opioids, 62% had problematic use, the majority of which was discovered by urine toxicology. Problematic use was associated with past substance use, current psychiatric disorder, and poorer adherence to antiretrovirals. However, when participants without problematic use at baseline were followed longitudinally, these factors were not predictive. Furthermore, the cumulative incidence of problematic use behaviors was no greater than in a similar group of participants who were not prescribed opioids. Problematic prescription opioid use is common among HIV-infected individuals and is associated with history of substance use, current psychiatric disorder, and poor adherence to antiretrovirals. However, these factors do not predict future problematic use in those who are not currently using illicit substances, and the prescription of an opioid does not seem to predispose patients toward a future substance use disorder. Rather than attempting to assess risk for problematic prescription opioid use in HIV-infected individuals, we recommend baseline and follow-up urine toxicology.

Symptoms of problematic cellular phone use, functional impairment and its association with depression among adolescents in Southern Taiwan.

PubMed

Yen, Cheng-Fang; Tang, Tze-Chun; Yen, Ju-Yu; Lin, Huang-Chi; Huang, Chi-Fen; Liu, Shu-Chun; Ko, Chih-Hung

2009-08-01

The aims of this study were: (1) to examine the prevalence of symptoms of problematic cellular phone use (CPU); (2) to examine the associations between the symptoms of problematic CPU, functional impairment caused by CPU and the characteristics of CPU; (3) to establish the optimal cut-off point of the number of symptoms for functional impairment caused by CPU; and (4) to examine the association between problematic CPU and depression in adolescents. A total of 10,191 adolescent students in Southern Taiwan were recruited into this study. Participants' self-reported symptoms of problematic CPU and functional impairments caused by CPU were collected. The associations of symptoms of problematic CPU with functional impairments and with the characteristics of CPU were examined. The cut-off point of the number of symptoms for functional impairment was also determined. The association between problematic CPU and depression was examined by logistic regression analysis. The results indicated that the symptoms of problematic CPU were prevalent in adolescents. The adolescents who had any one of the symptoms of problematic CPU were more likely to report at least one dimension of functional impairment caused by CPU, called more on cellular phones, sent more text messages, or spent more time and higher fees on CPU. Having four or more symptoms of problematic CPU had the highest potential to differentiate between the adolescents with and without functional impairment caused by CPU. Adolescents who had significant depression were more likely to have four or more symptoms of problematic CPU. The results of this study may provide a basis for detecting symptoms of problematic CPU in adolescents.

The effect of parental involvement on problematic social behaviors among school-age children in Kentucky.

PubMed

Robl, Joyce M; Jewell, Tracey D; Kanotra, Sarojini

2012-12-01

This study examines the associations among parental active involvement and healthy role modeling behavior with social behavior among children in Kentucky and the nation. Data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health was used, limited to children 6-17 years old. The dependent variable was a composite measure of problematic social behavior. Independent variables included parental involvement, parental healthy role modeling, and demographic variables. Chi square tests of independence were completed for bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression models were developed for Kentucky and the nation. The prevalence of problematic social behaviors in children was 10.4 % in Kentucky and 8.8 % in the nation. The parents of children in Kentucky who often exhibited problematic social behavior reported poor parent-child communication (50.4 %), not coping well with parenthood (56.5 %), parental aggravation (48.3 %), and less emotional help with parenting (9.1 %). The factor with the largest magnitude of association in Kentucky (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.2; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.6, 24.5) and the nation (AOR = 4.8; 95 % CI: 3.3, 7.0) was observed for whether or not the parent communicated well with the child. Additional factors associated with problematic social behavior among children in Kentucky were living in a single parent, mother-led household, and having a parent with fair or poor mental health. Public health programs that target factors addressing the parent-child dyad, parent-child communication, and model healthy relationships may reduce the occurrence of problematic social behavior in 6-17-year-old children in Kentucky.

Duration of Sexual Harassment and Generalized Harassment in the Workplace Over Ten Years: Effects on Deleterious Drinking Outcomes

PubMed Central

McGinley, Meredith; Richman, Judith A.; Rospenda, Kathleen M.

2012-01-01

While harassment in the workplace has been linked to deleterious drinking outcomes, researchers have yet to examine the long-term effects of chronic workplace harassment. During a ten year longitudinal mail survey, university employees (N = 2265) were administered measures of sexual harassment, generalized workplace harassment, and problematic drinking. Using growth mixture modeling, two latent classes of workplace harassment emerged: infrequent and chronic. Demographic characteristics (gender, age, and race) predicted the shape of the trajectories and likelihood of class membership. As hypothesized, membership in the chronic harassment classes was linked to future problematic drinking, even after controlling for previous drinking. PMID:21745045

Duration of sexual harassment and generalized harassment in the workplace over ten years: effects on deleterious drinking outcomes.

PubMed

McGinley, Meredith; Richman, Judith A; Rospenda, Kathleen M

2011-01-01

Although harassment in the workplace has been linked to deleterious drinking outcomes, researchers have yet to examine the long-term effects of chronic workplace harassment. During a 10-year longitudinal mail survey, university employees (N = 2,265) were administered measures of sexual harassment, generalized workplace harassment, and problematic drinking. Using growth mixture modeling, two latent classes of workplace harassment emerged: infrequent and chronic. Demographic characteristics (gender, age, and race) predicted the shape of the trajectories and likelihood of class membership. As hypothesized, membership in the chronic harassment classes was linked to future problematic drinking, even after controlling for previous drinking.

Clarifying the Links Among Online Gaming, Internet Use, Drinking Motives, and Online Pornography Use.

PubMed

Bőthe, Beáta; Tóth-Király, István; Orosz, Gábor

2015-04-01

This study was aimed at investigating the links between online gaming and online pornography use by considering gender, problematic Internet use, and different motives for alcohol drinking. University students (n=512; mean age=22.11 years; standard deviation=2.43 years; 64.06 percent women) filled in the Cyber Pornography Use Inventory, Hungarian version, the Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire, Hungarian version (POGQ-HU), the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire, Hungarian version (PIUQ-HU), and the Drinking Motive Questionnaire Revised Short Form, Hungarian version (DMQ-R-HU SF) questionnaires. According to hierarchical multiple regression analyses, the neglect factor of PIUQ-HU, the conformity factor of DMQ-R-HU SF, and the immersion and preoccupation factors of POGQ-HU have a significant predictive value on one's online pornography use, but gender does not. This research shows that independently from the effect of Internet and alcohol use dimensions, immersion and preoccupation factors of online gaming have significant effects on online pornography use. However, preoccupation has a negative effect on pornography use. Players scoring high on this subscale may think about gaming as the only interesting activity that rates higher than even pornography.

Nonidentifiability of population size from capture-recapture data with heterogeneous detection probabilities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Link, W.A.

2003-01-01

Heterogeneity in detection probabilities has long been recognized as problematic in mark-recapture studies, and numerous models developed to accommodate its effects. Individual heterogeneity is especially problematic, in that reasonable alternative models may predict essentially identical observations from populations of substantially different sizes. Thus even with very large samples, the analyst will not be able to distinguish among reasonable models of heterogeneity, even though these yield quite distinct inferences about population size. The problem is illustrated with models for closed and open populations.

Prevalence, risk factors, and psychosocial adjustment of problematic gambling in adolescents: Results from two representative German samples.

PubMed

Giralt, Sebastián; Müller, Kai W; Beutel, Manfred E; Dreier, Michael; Duven, Eva; Wölfling, Klaus

2018-06-05

Background and aims Gambling disorder is a significant public health concern. Especially, male minors have been shown to gamble in a problematic way, despite legal prohibitions. Methods We examined representative samples of students aged from 12 to 18 years (N = 9,309) in two German federal states to provide prevalence data and clinical description of risk factors for problematic gambling. Results We found that about 40% of the adolescents reported engaging in gambling activities within the past 12 months and found prevalence rates of 1.7% and 2.2% for problematic gambling. Especially, use of online gambling and slot machines was found to be related to problematic gambling. Male adolescents with a migration background were of higher risk for problematic gambling and psychopathological symptoms were significantly elevated among that group. Discussion The results indicate that participation in gambling activities is common among underaged adolescents and that prevalence of problematic gambling exceeds rates of adults. Similarly, problematic gambling is associated with increased psychopathological strain. Conclusion Given that a high proportion of adult gamblers report having started gambling in adolescents, our data emphasize the need for prevention and early intervention strategies for problematic gambling.

The association between problematic cellular phone use and risky behaviors and low self-esteem among Taiwanese adolescents

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Cellular phone use (CPU) is an important part of life for many adolescents. However, problematic CPU may complicate physiological and psychological problems. The aim of our study was to examine the associations between problematic CPU and a series of risky behaviors and low self-esteem in Taiwanese adolescents. Methods A total of 11,111 adolescent students in Southern Taiwan were randomly selected into this study. We used the Problematic Cellular Phone Use Questionnaire to identify the adolescents with problematic CPU. Meanwhile, a series of risky behaviors and self-esteem were evaluated. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were employed to examine the associations between problematic CPU and risky behaviors and low self-esteem regarding gender and age. Results The results indicated that positive associations were found between problematic CPU and aggression, insomnia, smoking cigarettes, suicidal tendencies, and low self-esteem in all groups with different sexes and ages. However, gender and age differences existed in the associations between problematic CPU and suspension from school, criminal records, tattooing, short nocturnal sleep duration, unprotected sex, illicit drugs use, drinking alcohol and chewing betel nuts. Conclusions There were positive associations between problematic CPU and a series of risky behaviors and low self-esteem in Taiwanese adolescents. It is worthy for parents and mental health professionals to pay attention to adolescents' problematic CPU. PMID:20426807

Addictive Potential of Internet Applications and Differential Correlates of Problematic Use in Internet Gamers versus Generalized Internet Users in a Representative Sample of Adolescents.

PubMed

Rosenkranz, Tabea; Müller, Kai W; Dreier, Michael; Beutel, Manfred E; Wölfling, Klaus

2017-01-01

This paper examines the addictive potential of 8 different Internet applications, distinguishing male and female users. Moreover, differential correlates of problematic use are investigated in Internet gamers (IG) and generalized Internet users (GIU). In a representative sample of 5,667 adolescents aged 12-19 years, use of Internet applications, problematic Internet use, psychopathologic symptoms (emotional problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and psychosomatic complaints), personality (conscientiousness and extraversion), psychosocial correlates (perceived stress and self-efficacy), and coping strategies were assessed. The addictive potential of Internet applications was examined in boys and girls using regression analysis. MANOVAs were conducted to examine differential correlates of problematic Internet use between IG and GIU. Chatting and social networking most strongly predicted problematic Internet use in girls, while gaming was the strongest predictor in boys. Problematic IG exhibited multiple psychosocial problems compared to non-problematic IG. In problematic Internet users, GIU reported even higher psychosocial burden and displayed dysfunctional coping strategies more frequently than gamers. The results extend previous findings on the addictive potential of Internet applications and validate the proposed distinction between specific and generalized problematic Internet use. In addition to Internet gaming disorder, future studies should also focus on other highly addictive Internet applications, that is, chatting or social networking, regarding differential correlates of problematic use. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Relieving Pain using Dose-Extending Placebos: A Scoping Review

PubMed Central

Colloca, Luana; Enck, Paul; DeGrazia, David

2017-01-01

Placebos are often used by clinicians, usually deceptively and with little rationale or evidence of benefit, making their use ethically problematic. In contrast with their typical current use, a provocative line of research suggests that placebos can be intentionally exploited to extend analgesic therapeutic effects. Is it possible to extend the effects of drug treatments by interspersing placebos? We reviewed a database of placebo studies, searching for studies that indicate that placebos given after repeated administration of active treatments acquire medication-like effects. We found a total of 22studies in both animals and humans hinting of evidence that placebos may work as a sort of dose extender of active painkillers. Wherever effective in relieving clinical pain, such placebo use would offer several advantages. First, extending the effects of a painkiller through the use of placebos may reduce total drug intake and side effects. Second, dose-extending placebos may decrease patient dependence. Third, using placebos along with active medication, for part of the course of treatment, should limit dose escalation and lower costs. Importantly, provided that nondisclosure is pre-authorized in the informed consent process and that robust evidence indicates therapeutic benefit comparable to that of standard full-dose therapeutic regimens, introducing dose-extending placebos into the clinical arsenal should be considered. This novel prospect of placebo use has the potential to change our general thinking about painkiller treatments, the typical regimens of painkiller applications, and the ways in which treatments are evaluated. PMID:27023425

Correlates, comorbidities, and suicidal tendencies of problematic game use in a national wide sample of Korean adults.

PubMed

Park, Subin; Jeon, Hong Jin; Son, Jung Woo; Kim, Haesoo; Hong, Jin Pyo

2017-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, correlates, comorbidities, and suicidal tendencies of problematic game use in a nationally representative sample of Korean adults. Of the 6022 subjects who participated in the 2011 Korean Epidemiologic Catchment Area study and completed the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 2.1, 1397 game users were evaluated for problematic game use using 9-item DSM-5 proposed criteria for Internet gaming disorder. Respondents who responded "yes" to five or more of the nine DSM-5 criteria were considered as problematic game users and the reminders were considered as normal game users. 4.0% (56/1397) of game users were classified as a problematic game user. Problematic game users were more likely to be in younger age group and live in urban area compared with normal game user. Problematic game use was positively associated with several psychiatric disorders including nicotine use disorder, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder, but not associated with alcohol use disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, after adjusting for age, sex, and residential area. Problematic game use was significantly and positively associated with suicide plans, after controlling for psychiatric disorders as well as socio-demographic factors. Problematic game use is relatively prevalent in Korean adult population and highly comorbid with other psychiatric disorders and suicidality. Therefore, preventive strategy for problematic game use is needed for game users who were more likely to be addicted such as young adults in urban area, and mental health screening and appropriate treatment are needed for individuals with problematic game use.

Self-Esteem and Problematic Drinking in China: A Mediated Model.

PubMed

Zhai, Hui; Yang, Yanjie; Sui, Hong; Wang, Wenbo; Chen, Lu; Qiu, Xiaohui; Yang, Xiuxian; Qiao, Zhengxue; Wang, Lin; Zhu, Xiongzhao; Yang, Jiarun

2015-01-01

Although self-esteem is related to problematic drinking, the mechanisms by which it affects drinking remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether coping mechanisms mediate the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among Chinese men and women with alcohol use disorders and to recommend appropriate interventions for drinking problems. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. A sample of 5,689 community residents was screened, and 517 male and 172 female problematic drinkers were chosen to participate in this study. A self-esteem scale, a coping questionnaire and an alcohol use disorder identification test were completed in order to assess participants' self-esteem, coping mechanisms and alcohol use disorders, respectively. Participants' socio-demographic data were also gathered at this stage. The resulting data were examined via descriptive statistics, correlations and bootstrap analyses. Lower self-esteem levels were related to problematic drinking, and there were no gender differences in the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking. A relationship between low self-esteem and negative coping was observed only in men. Negative coping thus mediated the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among men, but this was not the case for women. Positive coping did not mediate the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among the participants, regardless of gender. Self-esteem and coping strategies are correlated among problematic drinkers. In addition, there are gender differences in the manners in which negative coping mediates the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking. Problematic drinking interventions directed at males should simultaneously address low self-esteem and negative coping.

Prevalence of problematic internet use in Slovenia.

PubMed

Macur, Mirna; Király, Orsolya; Maraz, Aniko; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2016-09-01

Internet use is an integral part of our everyday activities; however, Internet use may become problematic and harmful in a minority of cases. The majority of reported prevalence rates of problematic Internet use refer to adolescent samples, whereas epidemiological studies on representative adult populations are lacking. This study aimed to reveal the prevalence and characteristics of problematic Internet use in Slovenia. Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was included in European Health Interview Study (EHIS) on representative Slovenian sample. The frequency of Internet use and problematic Internet use were both assessed. 59.9% of Slovenian adult population uses the Internet daily, and 3.1% are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, 11% in the age group from 20 to 24 years. Those being at risk for becoming problematic Internet users are younger (mean age 31.3 vs. 48.3 for non-problematic users), more likely to be males (3.6% of males, whereas 2.6% of females are affected), students (12.0%), unemployed (6.3%) or unable to work (8.7%), single (6.5%), with high education (4.5%). Regression analysis revealed that the strongest predictor of being at risk for problematic Internet use is age (ß=-0.338, p<0.001); followed by high educational level (ß=0.145; p<0.001) and student status (ß=0.136; p<0.001). 3.1% of Slovenian adult population are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, whereas 3 out of 20 Slovenian adolescents aged from 18 to 19 years are at risk (14.6%). Prevention programs and treatment for those affected are paramount, especially for the young generation.

Internet-Based Interventions for Addictive Behaviours: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Chebli, Jaymee-Lee; Blaszczynski, Alexander; Gainsbury, Sally M

2016-12-01

Internet-based interventions have emerged as a new treatment and intervention modality for psychological disorders. Given their features of treatment flexibility, anonymity and confidentiality, this modality may be well suited in the management of addictive behaviours. A systematic literature review of the effectiveness and treatment outcomes of Internet-based interventions for smoking cessation, problematic alcohol use, substance abuse and gambling was performed. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: clients received a structured therapeutic Internet-based intervention for a problematic and addictive behaviour; included more than five clients; effectiveness was based on at least one outcome; outcome variables were measured before and immediately following the interventions; had a follow-up period; and involved at least minimal therapist contact over the course of the program. Sixteen relevant studies were found; nine addressed the effects of Internet-based interventions on smoking cessation, four on gambling, two on alcohol and one on opioid dependence. All studies demonstrated positive treatment outcomes for their respective addictive behaviours. The current review concluded that Internet-based interventions are effective in achieving positive behavioural change through reducing problematic behaviours. This mode of therapy has been found to have the capacity to provide effective and practical services for those who might have remained untreated, subsequently reducing the barriers for help-seekers. This in turn provides imperative information to treatment providers, policy makers, and academic researchers.

Food Craving as a Mediator between Addictive-like Eating and Problematic Eating Outcomes

PubMed Central

Joyner, Michelle A.; Gearhardt, Ashley N.; White, Marney A.

2015-01-01

Background There is growing interest and debate about whether an addictive process contributes to problematic eating outcomes, such as obesity. Craving is a core component of addiction, but there has been little research on the relationship between addictive-like eating, craving, and eating-related concerns. In the current study, we examine the effect of both overall food craving and craving for different types of food on the relationship between addictive-like eating symptoms and elevated body mass index (BMI) and binge eating episodes. Methods In a community sample (n = 283), we conducted analyses to examine whether overall craving mediated the association between addictive-like eating and elevated BMI, as well as binge eating frequency. We also ran separate mediational models examining the indirect effect of cravings for sweets, fats, carbohydrates, and fast food fats on these same associations. Results Overall food craving was a significant partial mediator in the relationships between addictive-like eating and both elevated BMI and binge eating episodes. Cravings for sweets and other carbohydrates significantly mediated the relationship between addictive-like eating and binge eating episodes, while cravings for fats significantly mediated the relationship between addictive-like eating and elevated BMI. Conclusions Craving appears to be an important component in the pathway between addictive-like eating and problematic eating outcomes. The current results highlight the importance of further evaluating the role of an addictive process in problematic eating behaviors and potentially targeting food cravings in intervention approaches. PMID:26262570

Food craving as a mediator between addictive-like eating and problematic eating outcomes.

PubMed

Joyner, Michelle A; Gearhardt, Ashley N; White, Marney A

2015-12-01

There is growing interest and debate about whether an addictive process contributes to problematic eating outcomes, such as obesity. Craving is a core component of addiction, but there has been little research on the relationship between addictive-like eating, craving, and eating-related concerns. In the current study, we examine the effect of both overall food craving and craving for different types of food on the relationship between addictive-like eating symptoms and elevated body mass index (BMI) and binge eating episodes. In a community sample (n=283), we conducted analyses to examine whether overall craving mediated the association between addictive-like eating and elevated BMI, as well as binge eating frequency. We also ran separate mediational models examining the indirect effect of cravings for sweets, fats, carbohydrates, and fast food fats on these same associations. Overall food craving was a significant partial mediator in the relationships between addictive-like eating and both elevated BMI and binge eating episodes. Cravings for sweets and other carbohydrates significantly mediated the relationship between addictive-like eating and binge eating episodes, while cravings for fats significantly mediated the relationship between addictive-like eating and elevated BMI. Craving appears to be an important component in the pathway between addictive-like eating and problematic eating outcomes. The current results highlight the importance of further evaluating the role of an addictive process in problematic eating behaviors and potentially targeting food cravings in intervention approaches. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the antireflection property of moth wings by three-dimensional transfer-matrix optical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deparis, Olivier; Khuzayim, Nadia; Parker, Andrew; Vigneron, Jean Pol

2009-04-01

The wings of the moth Cacostatia ossa (Ctenuchinae) are covered on both sides by non-close-packed nipple arrays which are known to act as broadband antireflection coatings. Experimental evaluation of the antireflection property of these biological structures is problematic because of the lack of a proper reference for reflectance measurements, i.e., a smooth surface made of the same material as the wing. Theoretical evaluation, on the other hand, is much more reliable provided that optical simulations are carried out on a realistic structural model of the wing. Based on detailed morphological characterizations, we established a three-dimensional (3D) model of the wing and used 3D transfer-matrix optical simulations in order to demonstrate the broadband antireflection property of the wings of Cacostatia ossa. Differences between hemispherical and specular reflectance spectra revealed that diffraction effects were not negligible for this structure although they did not jeopardize the antireflection efficiency. The influences of the backside corrugation and of the material’s absorption on the reflectance spectrum were also studied. In addition, simulations based on an effective-medium model of the wing were carried out using a multilayer thin-film code. In comparison with the latter simulations, the 3D transfer-matrix simulations were found to be more accurate for evaluating the antireflection property.

Phytotherapy and Nutritional Supplements on Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Dourado, A.

2017-01-01

Breast cancer is the most frequent type of nonskin malignancy among women worldwide. In general, conventional cancer treatment options (i.e., surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, biological therapy, and hormone therapy) are not completely effective. Recurrence and other pathologic situations are still an issue in breast cancer patients due to side effects, toxicity of drugs in normal cells, and aggressive behaviour of the tumours. From this point of view, breast cancer therapy and adjuvant methods represent a promising and challenging field for researchers. In the last few years, the use of some types of complementary medicines by women with a history of breast cancer has significantly increased such as phytotherapeutic products and nutritional supplements. Despite this, the use of such approaches in oncologic processes may be problematic and patient's health risks can arise such as interference with the efficacy of standard cancer treatment. The present review gives an overview of the most usual phytotherapeutic products and nutritional supplements with application in breast cancer patients as adjuvant approach. Regardless of the contradictory results of scientific evidence, we demonstrated the need to perform additional investigation, mainly well-designed clinical trials in order to establish correlations and allow for further validated outcomes concerning the efficacy, safety, and clinical evidence-based recommendation of these products. PMID:28845434

Compliance with medical regimens during adolescence.

PubMed

Litt, I F; Cuskey, W R

1980-02-01

In summary, compliance behavior among adolescents is complex and imcompletely understood. Although the study of compliance is important for understanding the adolescent's stage of psychological development, relationships with authority figures, and the beginning of the youngster's career as a consumer of health care, its ultimate importance lies in the prospect of improving the likelihood that medication will be utilized appropriately. The first step in the process involves systematic monitoring of compliance rather than doing so only when noncompliance is clinically suspected. When compliance is found to be problematic for an adolescent, resorting to "scare" techniques or re-education is rarely effective. A more positive outcome may be achieved by determining the circumstances under which the youngster was successful in complying and attempting to tailor-make the regimen accordingly. Barriers to compliance, such as the presence of side effects, previous negative experience with the medicine, and lack of conviction about the diagnosis of appropriateness of therapy, should always be explored. Other potential intervention strategies for improving compliance have been discussed. In the final analysis, however, as Jonson has noted, all strategies aimed at improving compliance must provide the patient with insight into his own situation and himself, as well as his capability of doing something other than conforming when he judges it best.

Problematic game play: the diagnostic value of playing motives, passion, and playing time in men.

PubMed

Kneer, Julia; Rieger, Diana

2015-04-30

Internet gaming disorder is currently listed in the DSM-not in order to diagnose such a disorder but to encourage research to investigate this phenomenon. Even whether it is still questionable if Internet Gaming Disorder exists and can be judged as a form of addiction, problematic game play is already very well researched to cause problems in daily life. Approaches trying to predict problematic tendencies in digital game play have mainly focused on playing time as a diagnostic criterion. However, motives to engage in digital game play and obsessive passion for game play have also been found to predict problematic game play but have not yet been investigated together. The present study aims at (1) analyzing if obsessive passion can be distinguished from problematic game play as separate concepts, and (2) testing motives of game play, passion, and playing time for their predictive values for problematic tendencies. We found (N = 99 males, Age: M = 22.80, SD = 3.81) that obsessive passion can be conceptually separated from problematic game play. In addition, the results suggest that compared to solely playing time immersion as playing motive and obsessive passion have added predictive value for problematic game play. The implications focus on broadening the criteria in order to diagnose problematic playing.

Problematic Game Play: The Diagnostic Value of Playing Motives, Passion, and Playing Time in Men

PubMed Central

Kneer, Julia; Rieger, Diana

2015-01-01

Internet gaming disorder is currently listed in the DSM—not in order to diagnose such a disorder but to encourage research to investigate this phenomenon. Even whether it is still questionable if Internet Gaming Disorder exists and can be judged as a form of addiction, problematic game play is already very well researched to cause problems in daily life. Approaches trying to predict problematic tendencies in digital game play have mainly focused on playing time as a diagnostic criterion. However, motives to engage in digital game play and obsessive passion for game play have also been found to predict problematic game play but have not yet been investigated together. The present study aims at (1) analyzing if obsessive passion can be distinguished from problematic game play as separate concepts, and (2) testing motives of game play, passion, and playing time for their predictive values for problematic tendencies. We found (N = 99 males, Age: M = 22.80, SD = 3.81) that obsessive passion can be conceptually separated from problematic game play. In addition, the results suggest that compared to solely playing time immersion as playing motive and obsessive passion have added predictive value for problematic game play. The implications focus on broadening the criteria in order to diagnose problematic playing. PMID:25942516

From betrayal to the bottle: investigating possible pathways from trauma to problematic substance use.

PubMed

Delker, Brianna C; Freyd, Jennifer J

2014-10-01

Research in both community and clinical settings has found that exposure to cumulative interpersonal trauma predicts substance use problems. Less is known about betrayal as a dimension of trauma exposure that predicts substance use, and about the behavioral and psychological pathways that explain the relation between trauma and substance use. In a sample of 362 young adults, this study evaluated three intervening pathways between betrayal trauma exposure prior to age 18 years and problematic substance use: (a) substance use to cope with negative affect, (b) difficulty discerning and/or heeding risk, and (c) self-destructiveness. In addition, exposure to trauma low in betrayal (e.g., earthquake) was included in the model. Bootstrap tests of indirect effects revealed that betrayal trauma prior to age 18 years was associated with problematic substance use via posttraumatic stress and two intervening pathways: difficulty discerning/heeding risk (β = .07, p < .001), and self-destructiveness (β = .12, p < .001). Exposure to lower betrayal trauma was not associated with posttraumatic stress or problematic substance use. Results contribute to a trauma-informed understanding of substance use that persists despite potentially harmful consequences. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

The role of mindfulness skills in terms of anxiety-related cognitive risk factors among college students with problematic alcohol use.

PubMed

Kraemer, Kristen M; O'Bryan, Emily M; Johnson, Adrienne L; McLeish, Alison C

2017-01-01

The aim of the current study was to examine the associations between the specific mindfulness skills of observing, describing, awareness, nonjudgment, and nonreactivity in terms of anxiety sensitivity (AS), distress tolerance (DT), and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) among college students with problematic alcohol use. Participants were 202 (69.3% male; M age = 18.96, SD = 2.24, range = 18-45 years) undergraduate college students with problematic alcohol use who completed self-report measures for course credit. Results indicated that after controlling for the effects of gender, smoking status, marijuana use status, and negative affectivity, greater use of the mindfulness skill of observing was associated with higher AS, greater describing was associated with lower AS and higher DT, greater nonjudgment was associated with lower AS and IU and higher DT, and greater nonreactivity was associated with increased DT. Awareness did not significantly predict any of the examined risk factors. These results suggest that specific mindfulness skills are associated with a greater tolerance of physiological, emotional, and uncertain states. An important next step will be to examine whether mindfulness skills are associated with decreased problematic alcohol use due to improvements in these anxiety-related risk factors.

Prevalence of problematic internet use in Slovenia

PubMed Central

Király, Orsolya; Maraz, Aniko; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2016-01-01

Abstract Background Internet use is an integral part of our everyday activities; however, Internet use may become problematic and harmful in a minority of cases. The majority of reported prevalence rates of problematic Internet use refer to adolescent samples, whereas epidemiological studies on representative adult populations are lacking. This study aimed to reveal the prevalence and characteristics of problematic Internet use in Slovenia. Methods Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was included in European Health Interview Study (EHIS) on representative Slovenian sample. The frequency of Internet use and problematic Internet use were both assessed. Results 59.9% of Slovenian adult population uses the Internet daily, and 3.1% are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, 11% in the age group from 20 to 24 years. Those being at risk for becoming problematic Internet users are younger (mean age 31.3 vs. 48.3 for non-problematic users), more likely to be males (3.6% of males, whereas 2.6% of females are affected), students (12.0%), unemployed (6.3%) or unable to work (8.7%), single (6.5%), with high education (4.5%). Regression analysis revealed that the strongest predictor of being at risk for problematic Internet use is age (ß=-0.338, p<0.001); followed by high educational level (ß=0.145; p<0.001) and student status (ß=0.136; p<0.001). Conclusion 3.1% of Slovenian adult population are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, whereas 3 out of 20 Slovenian adolescents aged from 18 to 19 years are at risk (14.6%). Prevention programs and treatment for those affected are paramount, especially for the young generation. PMID:27703540

Is problematic internet use an indicator of eating disorders among Turkish university students?

PubMed

Çelik, Çiğdem Berber; Odacı, Hatice; Bayraktar, Nihal

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between problematic internet use and eating attitudes in a group of university students. The study sample consisted of 314 students attending programs at the faculties of education, medicine and communications at the Karadeniz Technical University in Turkey. One hundred forty-seven (46.8 %) were male and 167 (53.2 %) female. The Problematic Internet Use Scale was used to measure problematic internet use levels among university students and the Eating Attitudes Test to determine anorexia nervosa symptoms. Additionally, a Personal Data Form was used to determine age, gender, faculty attended and computer ownership. Data were analyzed on SPSS 15.00. Pearson's product moments correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression analysis, the independent t test and one-way ANOVA were used for data analysis. The research findings showed that 46.8 % of students were female and 53.2 % male. Mean age was 20.65 (SD 1.42). Analysis showed a significant positive correlation between problematic internet use and eating attitudes (r = 0.77, p < 0.01). Problematic internet use was found to be a significant predictor of eating attitudes. The results also showed a significant difference in problematic internet use with regard to program variables [F (2,311) = 102.79]. There were no significant differences in problematic internet use in terms of gender or computer ownership. The results of this study indicate that problematic internet use is significantly correlated with eating disorders, that problematic internet use does not vary on the basis of gender or computer ownership and that variations arise in problematic internet use depending on the faculty attended.

Self-Esteem and Problematic Drinking in China: A Mediated Model

PubMed Central

Zhai, Hui; Yang, Yanjie; Sui, Hong; Wang, Wenbo; Chen, Lu; Qiu, Xiaohui; Yang, Xiuxian; Qiao, Zhengxue; Wang, Lin; Zhu, Xiongzhao; Yang, Jiarun

2015-01-01

Background Although self-esteem is related to problematic drinking, the mechanisms by which it affects drinking remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether coping mechanisms mediate the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among Chinese men and women with alcohol use disorders and to recommend appropriate interventions for drinking problems. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. A sample of 5,689 community residents was screened, and 517 male and 172 female problematic drinkers were chosen to participate in this study. A self-esteem scale, a coping questionnaire and an alcohol use disorder identification test were completed in order to assess participants’ self-esteem, coping mechanisms and alcohol use disorders, respectively. Participants’ socio-demographic data were also gathered at this stage. The resulting data were examined via descriptive statistics, correlations and bootstrap analyses. Results Lower self-esteem levels were related to problematic drinking, and there were no gender differences in the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking. A relationship between low self-esteem and negative coping was observed only in men. Negative coping thus mediated the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among men, but this was not the case for women. Positive coping did not mediate the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among the participants, regardless of gender. Conclusions Self-esteem and coping strategies are correlated among problematic drinkers. In addition, there are gender differences in the manners in which negative coping mediates the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking. Problematic drinking interventions directed at males should simultaneously address low self-esteem and negative coping. PMID:26451595

Problematic Exercise in Anorexia Nervosa: Testing Potential Risk Factors against Different Definitions.

PubMed

Rizk, Melissa; Lalanne, Christophe; Berthoz, Sylvie; Kern, Laurence; Godart, Nathalie

2015-01-01

"Hyperactivity" has a wide prevalence range of 31% to 80% in the anorexia nervosa literature that could be partly due to the plethora of definitions provided by researchers in this field. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) To assess the variance across prevalence rates of problematic exercise encountered in patients with anorexia nervosa, in relation to seven different definitions found in the literature. 2) To examine how core eating disorder symptoms and the dimensions of emotional profile are associated with these different definitions and the impact of these definitions on the assessment of patients' quality of life. Exercise was evaluated in terms of duration, intensity, type and compulsion using a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 180 women suffering from severe anorexia nervosa. Seven different definitions of problematic exercise were identified in the literature: three entailing a single dimension of problematic exercise (duration, compulsion or intensity) and four combining these different dimensions. Emotional profile scores, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, eating disorder symptomatology, worries and concerns about body shape, self-esteem and quality of life were assessed using several established questionnaires. The prevalence of problematic exercise varied considerably from, 5% to 54%, depending on the number of criteria used for its definition. The type and level of eating disorder symptomatology was found to be associated with several definitions of problematic exercise. Surprisingly, a better self-reported quality of life was found among problematic exercisers compared to non-problematic exercisers in three of the definitions. The different definitions of problematic exercise explain the broad prevalence ranges and the conflicting associations generally reported in the literature between problematic exercise and eating disorder-related psychological parameters. There is an urgent need for a valid consensus on the definition of problematic exercise in anorexia nervosa. This will support the development of further research on the etiology and treatment of problematic exercise.

Dual 8-plate technique is not as effective as ablation for epiphysiodesis about the knee.

PubMed

Stewart, Daniel; Cheema, Asad; Szalay, Elizabeth A

2013-12-01

Lower extremity length inequality can be problematic in children and is often addressed surgically. Several techniques have traditionally been utilized for epiphysiodesis, the goal being physeal ablation. Recently, 8-plates, initially developed for hemiepiphysiodesis, have been extended to epiphysiodesis by placing the plates on both medial and lateral sides of the physis. No prior studies have compared 8-plates with physeal ablation techniques. Between January 2003 and August 2009, 27 patients underwent epiphysiodesis surgery using either physeal ablation or 8-plate technique. Sixteen patients had physeal ablation and 11 had dual 8-plates. A retrospective chart review sought demographic data, outcomes, and complications. Radiographs were reviewed to measure pretreatment and posttreatment limb lengths. The median improvement in limb length discrepancy was 15.5 mm in the physeal ablation group and 4 mm in the 8-plate group (P<0.001). This difference was maintained following linear regression factoring out the effect of time (10.78 mm for ablation vs. 5.62 mm for 8-plates; P=0.016). There was no statistically significant difference in complication rate between the groups (P=0.112). Our study demonstrated physeal ablation to be a significantly superior treatment compared with dual 8-plates for epiphysiodesis. Despite theoretical advantages of 8-plates to perform epiphysiodesis about the knee, this study does not recommend the use of medial and lateral 8-plates to effect epiphysiodesis. Therapeutic III.

Everybody Is…Drinking! Interpretation Bias in Problematic Drinkers with and without Mild to Borderline Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Duijvenbode, Neomi; Didden, Robert; Korzilius, Hubert P. L. M.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.

2016-01-01

Background: Problematic alcohol use is characterized by disrupted associative processing of environmental clues, where problematic drinkers interpret ambiguous, alcohol-relevant clues in an alcohol-related way. The present study examined the strength of this interpretation bias in a large sample (N = 230) of light and problematic drinkers with and…

A pilot study of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in corrections: assessment of malingering, suicide risk, and aggression in male inmates.

PubMed

Wang, E W; Rogers, R; Giles, C L; Diamond, P M; Herrington-Wang, L E; Taylor, E R

1997-01-01

Provision of mental health services to correctional populations places considerable demands on clinical staff to provide efficient and effective means to screen patients for severe mental disorders and other emergent conditions that necessitate immediate interventions. Among the highly problematic behaviors found in correctional settings are forms of acting out (e.g., suicide and aggression towards others) and response style (e.g., motivations to malinger). The current study examined the usefulness of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in assessing problematic behaviors in a corrections-based psychiatric hospital. As evidence of criterion related validity, selected PAI scales were compared to (a) evidence of malingering on the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS), (b) suicidal threats and gestures, and (c) ratings of aggression on the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS). In general, results supported the use of the PAI for the assessment of these problematic behaviors.

Being a pedestrian with dementia: A qualitative study using photo documentation and focus group interviews.

PubMed

Brorsson, Anna; Öhman, Annika; Lundberg, Stefan; Nygård, Louise

2016-09-01

The aim of the study was to identify problematic situations in using zebra crossings. They were identified from photo documentations comprising film sequences and the perspectives of people with dementia. The aim was also to identify how they would understand, interpret and act in these problematic situations based on their previous experiences and linked to the film sequences.A qualitative grounded theory approach was used. Film sequences from five zebra crossings were analysed. The same film sequences were used as triggers in two focus group interviews with persons with dementia. Individual interviews with three informants were also performed.The core category, the hazard of meeting unfolding problematic traffic situations when only one layer at a time can be kept in focus, showed how a problematic situation as a whole consisted of different layers of problematic situations. The first category, adding layers of problematic traffic situations to each other, was characterized by the informants' creation of a problematic situation as a whole. The different layers were described in the subcategories of layout of streets and zebra crossings, weather conditions, vehicles and crowding of pedestrians. The second category, actions used to meet different layers of problematic traffic situations, was characterized by avoiding problematic situations, using traffic lights as reminders and security precautions, following the flow at the zebra crossing and being cautious pedestrians.In conclusion, as community-dwelling people with dementia commonly are pedestrians, it is important that health care professionals and caregivers take their experiences and management of problematic traffic situations into account when providing support. © The Author(s) 2014.

The medicalization of love.

PubMed

Earp, Brian D; Sandberg, Anders; Savulescu, Julian

2015-07-01

Pharmaceuticals or other emerging technologies could be used to enhance (or diminish) feelings of lust, attraction, and attachment in adult romantic partnerships. Although such interventions could conceivably be used to promote individual (and couple) well-being, their widespread development and/or adoption might lead to the 'medicalization' of human love and heartache--for some, a source of a serious concern. In this essay, we argue that the medicalization of love need not necessarily be problematic, on balance, but could plausibly be expected to have either good or bad consequences depending upon how it unfolds. By anticipating some of the specific ways in which these technologies could yield unwanted outcomes, bioethicists and others can help to direct the course of love's medicalization--should it happen to occur--more toward the 'good' side than the 'bad.'

Battling Against Interfaith Relations in Israel: Religion, Therapy, and Social Services.

PubMed

Hakak, Yohai

2016-01-01

One of the less studied aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is its demography. On the Jewish side, active steps are taken by the state to encourage Jewish immigration and Jewish births and discourage Jewish assimilation. As part of these efforts, the "problematic relationships" between Arab men and Jewish women from low socioeconomic background have become a high agenda item in public discussions in Israel during the last decade. I will examine here how the diagnostic category "girls at risk" and a therapeutic intervention employed by social services dealing with these couples helps maintaining the delicate balance between Jewish and democratic values. I will analyze these practices as a solution to a structural problem of the Jewish enclave in Israel. © 2015 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

[Training of community health workers: experience of teaching and practice with nursing students].

PubMed

Cardoso, Fátima Aparecida; Cordeiro, Vitória Régia de Negreiros; Lima, Daniele Barreto de; Melo, Bárbara de Caldas; Menezes, Raquel Nobre Barreto de; Moulaz, Ana Luiza Silva de; Sá, Gabrielle Boff de; Souza, Adalgisa Vânia Fernandes de

2011-01-01

This paper aims to report an experience carried out by nursing students from the Undergraduate School of Health Sciences, Federal District, during their first year of study. The objective was to implement a training for 22 community health workers, in order to clarify them about their role in community work and to elevate their self esteem. A methodology of problematization and various educational techniques were used. The themes were: duties and rights, responsibilities, communication, ethics, team work, children´s health, care for the elderly and domestic violence. The result was considered positive for both sides: the community workers acquired new knowledge/capabilities and better feeling of self worth and the students were able to integrate theory and practice and become active participants in the learning process.

Problematic Internet use, well-being, self-esteem and self-control: Data from a high-school survey in China

PubMed Central

Mei, Songli; Yau, Yvonne H. C.; Chai, Jingxin; Guo, Jinhua; Potenza, Marc N.

2016-01-01

Given the prevalence of Internet use among youth, there is concern that a subset of Internet-using youth may exhibit problematic or addictive patterns of Internet use. The present study examines the association between problematic Internet use (PIU), demographic variables, and health-related measures among Chinese adolescents. Survey data from 1552 adolescents (male = 653, mean age = 15.43 years) from Jilin Province, China, were collected. According to the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction (YDQ), 77.8% (n=1,207), 16.8% (n=260), and 5.5% (n=85) showed adaptive, maladaptive, and problematic Internet use, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that gender and family income per month differed between youth showing problematic and adaptive patterns of Internet use. Well-being, self-esteem, and self-control were related to severity of problematic Internet use, with greater severity typically associated with poorer measures in each domain. The findings that severity of problematic Internet use is associated with specific socio-demographic features and temperamental and well-being measures suggest that specific groups of youth may be particularly vulnerable to developing problematic Internet use. Early prevention/intervention programs targeting at-risk groups may help improve public health. PMID:27249805

Scanning Surface Potential Microscopy of Spore Adhesion on Surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Ida; Chung, Eunhyea; Kweon, Hyojin

2012-01-01

The adhesion of spores of Bacillus anthracis - the cause of anthrax and a likely biological threat - to solid surfaces is an important consideration in cleanup after an accidental or deliberate release. However, because of safety concerns, directly studying B. anthracis spores with advanced instrumentation is problematic. As a first step, we are examining the electrostatic potential of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which is a closely related species that is often used as a simulant to study B. anthracis. Scanning surface potential microscopy (SSPM), also known as Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), was used to investigate the influence of relativemore » humidity (RH) on the surface electrostatic potential of Bt that had adhered to silica, mica, or gold substrates. AFM/SSPM side-by-side images were obtained separately in air, at various values of RH, after an aqueous droplet with spores was applied on each surface and allowed to dry before measurements. In the SSPM images, a negative potential on the surface of the spores was observed compared with that of the substrates. The surface potential decreased as the humidity increased. Spores were unable to adhere to a surface with an extremely negative potential, such as mica.« less

Realigning government action with public health evidence: the legal and policy environment affecting sex work and HIV in Asia.

PubMed

Gruskin, Sofia; Pierce, Gretchen Williams; Ferguson, Laura

2014-01-01

The HIV epidemic has shed light on how government regulation of sex work directly affects the health and well-being of sex workers, their families and communities. A review of the public health evidence highlights the need for supportive legal and policy environments, yet criminalisation of sex work remains standard around the world. Emerging evidence, coupled with evolving political ideologies, is increasingly shaping legal environments that promote the rights and health of sex workers but even as new legislation is created, contradictions often exist with standing problematic legislation. As a region, Asia provides a compelling example in that progressive HIV policies often sit side by side with laws that criminalise sex work. Data from the 21 Asian countries reporting under the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV in 2010 were analysed to provide evidence of how countries' approach to sex-work regulation might affect HIV-related outcomes. Attention to the links between law and HIV-related outcomes can aid governments to meet their international obligations and ensure appropriate legal environments that cultivate the safe and healthy development and expression of sexuality, ensure access to HIV and other related services and promote and protect human rights.

Psychometric development of the Problematic Pornography Use Scale.

PubMed

Kor, Ariel; Zilcha-Mano, Sigal; Fogel, Yehuda A; Mikulincer, Mario; Reid, Rory C; Potenza, Marc N

2014-05-01

Despite the increased social acceptance and widespread use of pornography over the past few decades, reliable and valid instruments assessing problematic use of pornography are lacking. This paper reports the findings of three studies aimed at developing and validating a new scale measuring problematic pornography use. The Problematic Pornography Use Scale (PPUS) items showed high internal consistency, convergent validity, and construct validity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed four core factors relating to proposed domains of problematic pornography use. High PPUS scores were positively correlated with measures of psychopathology, low self-esteem and poor attachment. Although PPUS scores were related to other behavioral addictions, problematic pornography use as operationalized in the current paper appears to be uniquely distinguished from features of behavioral addictions relating to gambling and Internet use. Findings highlight the potential use of the PPUS for future research and possible clinical applications by defining problematic pornography use as a behavioral addiction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differentiating children with and without a history of repeated problematic sexual behavior.

PubMed

Curwen, Tracey; Jenkins, Jennifer M; Worling, James R

2014-01-01

Many adolescents who sexually offend commenced problematic sexual behaviors as children. There is little evidence to indicate which children may be at risk to continue problematic sexual behaviors and which children will desist once identified. The goal of this study was to determine variables that differentiate children who repeated problematic sexual behaviors following adult reprimand from those who did not. Predictive accuracy of 33 risk variables was investigated using 62 children assessed for problematic sexual behaviors. Eight individual variables were related to group membership, and a total score based on the combination of these variables was predictive of group membership. The results indicate variables that may assist in identifying children requiring intervention versus those likely to discontinue problematic sexual behaviors once they are identified and reprimanded.

Management of problematic behaviours among individuals on long-term opioid therapy: protocol for a Delphi study

PubMed Central

Merlin, Jessica S; Young, Sarah R; Azari, Soraya; Becker, William C; Liebschutz, Jane M; Pomeranz, Jamie; Roy, Payel; Saini, Shalini; Starrels, Joanna L; Edelman, E Jennifer

2016-01-01

Introduction Given the sharp rise in opioid prescribing and heightened recognition of opioid addiction and overdose, opioid safety has become a priority. Clinical guidelines on long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for chronic pain consistently recommend routine monitoring and screening for problematic behaviours. Yet, there is no consensus definition regarding what constitutes a problematic behaviour, and recommendations for appropriate management to inform front-line providers, researchers and policymakers are lacking. This creates a barrier to effective guideline implementation. Thus, our objective is to present the protocol for a Delphi study designed to: (1) elicit expert opinion to identify the most important problematic behaviours seen in clinical practice and (2) develop consensus on how these behaviours should be managed in the context of routine clinical care. Methods/analysis We will include clinical experts, defined as individuals who provide direct patient care to adults with chronic pain who are on LTOT in an ambulatory setting, and for whom opioid prescribing for chronic non-malignant pain is an area of expertise. The Delphi study will be conducted online in 4 consecutive rounds. Participants will be asked to list problematic behaviours and identify which behaviours are most common and challenging. They will then describe how they would manage the most frequently occurring common and challenging behaviours, rating the importance of each management strategy. Qualitative analysis will be used to categorise behaviours and management strategies, and consensus will be based on a definition established a priori. Ethics/dissemination This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This study will generate Delphi-based expert consensus on the management of problematic behaviours that arise in individuals on LTOT, which we will publish and disseminate to appropriate professional societies. Ultimately, our findings will provide guidance to front-line providers, researchers and policymakers. PMID:27154486

Alcohol and drug use among sexual minority college students and their heterosexual counterparts: the effects of experiencing and witnessing incivility and hostility on campus

PubMed Central

Woodford, Michael R; Krentzman, Amy R; Gattis, Maurice N

2012-01-01

Purpose Research suggests that discrimination contributes to increased substance use among sexual minorities. Subtle discrimination and witnessing mistreatment, however, have received little attention. Using minority stress theory as a conceptual framework the authors examined the intersection of sexual orientation, experiencing and witnessing incivility and hostility, and students’ alcohol and drug use. The authors hypothesized that experiencing/witnessing incivility/hostility would mediate the relationship between sexual minority status and drinking and drug use, as well as problematic use of these substances. Methods Data were taken from a campus climate survey (n = 2497; age mean [M] = 23.19 years; 61% female; 17% sexual minorities). Controlling for demographics, logistic regressions depicted specifications for each path of the mediation analysis and bootstrapping was used to assess the significance of each sexual minority-mistreatment-drinking/drug use path. Results Experiencing incivility mediated the relationship between sexual minority status and problematic drinking. Sexual minority college students were more likely to personally experience incivility (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.51–2.33), which was associated with greater odds of problematic drinking (AOR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.35–2.00). The mediation path was significant at P < 0.001. Further, witnessing hostility mediated the relationship between sexual minority status and problematic drinking. Sexual minority college students were more likely to witness hostility (AOR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.48–2.36), which was associated with greater odds of problematic drinking (AOR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.24–1.90). The mediation path was significant at P < 0.01. Conclusion The results provide further evidence for minority stress theory and suggest that clinical alcohol use interventions with sexual minorities need to assess personal incivilities and witnessing interpersonal mistreatment, especially hostility. Campus climate interventions that address subtle discrimination as well as harassment and violence may help reduce problematic drinking. PMID:24474863

Correlates of problematic gaming - Is there support for proneness to risky behaviour?

PubMed

Šincek, Daniela; Humer, Jasmina Tomašić; Duvnjak, Ivana

2017-09-01

This paper explores problematic Internet gaming in the context of other forms of risky behaviour. The basic premise is that children and adolescents at risk will display different types of risky behaviour in various settings. Children and adolescents (N=1150) were surveyed about (cyber)violence, problematic gaming (habits, motives and symptoms), self-disclosure via Facebook and self-esteem. Regular gamers were more violent both face-to-face and via the Internet, and were more prone to problematic gaming than occasional gamers. Those who played games for more than five hours per day (9% of respondents) were classified as potentially problematic gamers. They experienced and committed more violence both face-to-face and via the Internet, were more involved in self-disclosure and had more problematic gaming symptoms than those who played for less than five hours a day, but these groups did not differ in self-esteem. Participants could choose from a list of eight different motives for their gaming; those motivated by peer communication, a sense of control, relaxation, conformism, self-efficacy and to distract from problems reported more symptoms of problematic gaming than those not motivated by these factors. Gender, age, self-esteem, self-disclosure and committing violence contributed to explaining the variance in problematic gaming, accounting for about 26% of its variance. Boys, lower self-esteem, more self-disclosure and committing both types of violence more regularly were connected with reporting more symptoms of problematic gaming. The results will be discussed in the context of a general proneness to risky behaviour. Committing violence against peers (both traditional and cyber) predicts significantly problematic gaming. This supports the premise that children and adolescents at risk are prone to exhibiting different forms of risky behaviour in different settings.

ADHD and risky sexual behavior in adolescents: Conduct problems and substance use as mediators of risk

PubMed Central

Sarver, Dustin E.; McCart, Michael R.; Sheidow, Ashli J.; Letourneau, Elizabeth J.

2015-01-01

Background Recent studies have linked attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to elevated rates of risky sexual behavior (RSB) in adult samples. The current study tested whether ADHD symptoms were associated with RSB among adolescents, and examined comorbid conduct problems and problematic substance use as joint mediators of this association. Methods ADHD symptoms, conduct problems (oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder symptoms), problematic alcohol use (alcohol use disorder symptoms, alcohol use frequency), problematic marijuana use (marijuana use disorder symptoms, marijuana use frequency), and RSB were assessed among an ethnically diverse cross-sectional sample of adolescents (N=115; mean age=14.9 years) involved in the juvenile justice system. Results Bootstrapped mediation models revealed an initial association between ADHD symptoms and RSB that was accounted for fully by the influence of problematic alcohol and marijuana use, but not conduct problems. A follow-up multiple groups mediation analysis demonstrated that the relationship between ADHD symptoms and RSB emerged only among youth with clinically elevated conduct problems, and that problematic marijuana use fully accounted for this relationship. Hyperactive/impulsive but not inattentive symptoms were related to RSB, although the pattern of indirect effects was consistent with the multiple groups analysis. Conclusions The association between ADHD and adolescent RSB is restricted to youth with elevated comorbid conduct problems and reflects the contributions of comorbid marijuana use problems, and to a lesser extent alcohol use problems. Early identification and treatment of these comorbid conditions may be important for the prevention of negative sexual health outcomes among youth with ADHD. PMID:24813803

Asking for work adjustments or initiating behavioural changes - what makes a 'problematic co-worker' score Brownie points? An experimental study on the reactions towards colleagues with a personality disorder.

PubMed

Muschalla, Beate; Fay, Doris; Seemann, Anne

2016-10-01

People with mental disorders, especially personality disorders, often face low acceptance at work. This is particularly problematic when returning to work after sick leave, because it impedes reintegration into the former workplace. This study explores colleagues' reactions towards a problematic worker dependent on the returning person's reintegration strategy: The returning person undertaking changes in their behaviour is compared with the person requesting adjustments of the workplace. In an experimental study, 188 employed persons read one of four vignettes that described a return-to-work-situation of a problematic co-worker. Across all vignettes, the co-worker was depicted as having previously caused problems in the work team. In the first vignette, the co-worker did not change anything (control condition) when she returned to work; in the second, she asked for workplace adjustments; in the third vignette she initiated efforts to change her own behaviour; and the fourth vignette combined both workplace adjustments and behavioural change. Study participants were asked for their reactions towards the problematic co-worker. Vignettes that included a behavioural change evoked more positive reactions towards the co-worker than vignettes without any behavioural change. Asking for workplace adjustments alone did not yield more positive reactions compared to not initiating any change. When preparing employees with interactional problems for their return to work, it is not effective to only instruct them on their statutory entitlement for workplace adjustments. Instead, it is advisable to encourage them to proactively strive for behaviour changes.

Snow Control - An RCT protocol for a web-based self-help therapy to reduce cocaine consumption in problematic cocaine users

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Cocaine use has increased in most European countries, including Switzerland, and many states worldwide. The international literature has described treatment models that target the general population. In addition to supplying informative measures at the level of primary and secondary prevention, the literature also offers web-based self-help tools for problematic substance users, which is in line with tertiary prevention. Such programs, however, have been primarily tested on individuals with problematic alcohol and cannabis consumption, but not on cocaine-dependent individuals. Methods/Design This paper presents the protocol of a randomised clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a web-based self-help therapy to reduce cocaine use in problematic cocaine users. The primary outcome is severity of cocaine dependence. Secondary outcome measures include cocaine craving, consumption of cocaine and other substances of abuse in the past month, and changes in depression characteristics. The therapy group will receive a 6-week self-help therapy to reduce cocaine consumption based on methods of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, principles of Motivational Interviewing and self-control practices. The control group will be presented weekly psycho-educative information with a quiz. The predictive validity of participant characteristics on treatment retention and outcome will be explored. Discussion To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first randomised clinical trial to test the effectiveness of online self-help therapy to reduce or abstain from cocaine use. It will also investigate predictors of outcome and retention. This trial is registered at Current Controlled Trials and is traceable as NTR-ISRCTN93702927. PMID:21943294

Problematic use of social network sites: the interactive relationship between gratifications sought and privacy concerns.

PubMed

Chen, Hsuan-Ting; Kim, Yonghwan

2013-11-01

Problematic Internet use has long been a matter of concern; however, few studies extend this line of research from general Internet use to the use of social network sites (SNSs), or explicate the problematic use of SNSs by understanding what factors may enhance or reduce users' compulsive behaviors and excessive form of use on SNSs. Building on literature that found a positive relationship between gratifications sought from the Internet and problematic Internet use, this study first explores the types of gratifications sought from SNSs and examines their relationship with problematic SNS use. It found that three types of gratifications-diversion, self-presentation, and relationship building-were positively related to problematic SNS use. In addition, with a growing body of research on SNS privacy, a moderating role of privacy concerns on SNSs has been proposed to understand how it can influence the relationship between gratifications sought from SNSs and problematic SNS use. The findings suggest that different subdimensions of privacy concerns interact with gratifications sought in different manners. In other words, privacy concerns, including unauthorized secondary use and improper access, play a more influential role in constraining the positive relationship between gratifications sought and problematic SNS use when individuals seek to build relationships on SNSs. However, if individuals seek to have diversion on SNSs, their privacy concerns will be overridden by their gratifications sought, which in turn leads to problematic SNS use. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed.

A preliminary investigation into the prevalence and prediction of problematic cell phone use

PubMed Central

Smetaniuk, Peter

2014-01-01

Background and aims: Likening mobile phone use dependency to the classification of excessive behaviors may be necessarily equivalent in seriousness to previously established addictions such as problematic computing or excessive gambling. The aim of the study explores into the behavior of excessive use of mobile phones as a pathological behavior. Methods: Two studies investigated criteria for problematic mobile phone usage by examining student (Study 1, N = 301) and nonstudent (Study 2, N = 362) responses to a set of adapted mobile phone addiction inventories. Study 1 investigated cell phone addiction inventories as constructs designed to measure problematic cell phone use. Additionally, Study 2 sought to predict age, depression, extraversion, emotional stability, impulse control, and self-esteem as independent variables that augment respondents’ perceptions of problematic use. Results: The results from Study 1 and Study 2 indicate that 10 to 25% of the participants tested exhibited problematic cell phone usage. Additionally, age, depression, extraversion, and low impulse control are the most suitable predictors for problematic use. Conclusions: The results of the two studies indicate that problematic mobile phone use does occur and ought to be taken seriously by the psychological community. Presently, there is limited data providing conclusive evidence for a comprehensible categorization of cell phone addiction, as well as a unified explanatory model specific to problematic mobile phone use. Studies such as this one may contribute substantial findings, adding scientific significance, and offering a valuable submission for the ongoing progress of creating intervention frameworks relative to “virtual addictions”. PMID:25215213

A preliminary investigation into the prevalence and prediction of problematic cell phone use.

PubMed

Smetaniuk, Peter

2014-03-01

Likening mobile phone use dependency to the classification of excessive behaviors may be necessarily equivalent in seriousness to previously established addictions such as problematic computing or excessive gambling. The aim of the study explores into the behavior of excessive use of mobile phones as a pathological behavior. Two studies investigated criteria for problematic mobile phone usage by examining student (Study 1, N = 301) and nonstudent (Study 2, N = 362) responses to a set of adapted mobile phone addiction inventories. Study 1 investigated cell phone addiction inventories as constructs designed to measure problematic cell phone use. Additionally, Study 2 sought to predict age, depression, extraversion, emotional stability, impulse control, and self-esteem as independent variables that augment respondents' perceptions of problematic use. The results from Study 1 and Study 2 indicate that 10 to 25% of the participants tested exhibited problematic cell phone usage. Additionally, age, depression, extraversion, and low impulse control are the most suitable predictors for problematic use. The results of the two studies indicate that problematic mobile phone use does occur and ought to be taken seriously by the psychological community. Presently, there is limited data providing conclusive evidence for a comprehensible categorization of cell phone addiction, as well as a unified explanatory model specific to problematic mobile phone use. Studies such as this one may contribute substantial findings, adding scientific significance, and offering a valuable submission for the ongoing progress of creating intervention frameworks relative to "virtual addictions".

Problematic Internet use, well-being, self-esteem and self-control: Data from a high-school survey in China.

PubMed

Mei, Songli; Yau, Yvonne H C; Chai, Jingxin; Guo, Jinhua; Potenza, Marc N

2016-10-01

Given the prevalence of Internet use among youth, there is concern that a subset of Internet-using youth may exhibit problematic or addictive patterns of Internet use. The present study examines the association between problematic Internet use (PIU), demographic variables, and health-related measures among Chinese adolescents. Survey data from 1552 adolescents (male=653, mean age=15.43years) from Jilin Province, China, were collected. According to the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction (YDQ), 77.8% (n=1207), 16.8% (n=260), and 5.5% (n=85) showed adaptive, maladaptive, and problematic Internet use, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that gender and family income per month differed between youth showing problematic and adaptive patterns of Internet use. Well-being, self-esteem, and self-control were related to severity of problematic Internet use, with greater severity typically associated with poorer measures in each domain. The findings that severity of problematic Internet use is associated with specific socio-demographic features and temperamental and well-being measures suggest that specific groups of youth may be particularly vulnerable to developing problematic Internet use. Early prevention/intervention programs targeting at-risk groups may help improve public health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use: The role of attachment and depression.

PubMed

Worsley, Joanne D; McIntyre, Jason C; Bentall, Richard P; Corcoran, Rhiannon

2018-05-25

Childhood maltreatment is associated with many maladaptive outcomes. This study sought to examine the association between childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use using a cross-sectional sample of young adults aged 17-25 years (n = 1029). Specifically, we studied whether the relationship is mediated through (i) attachment anxiety, (ii) attachment avoidance, or (iii) both attachment dimensions operating in series with depressive symptoms. Results revealed that a history of childhood maltreatment was significantly associated with more problematic social media use. Both anxious and avoidant attachment dimensions independently mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and problematic use of social media, but in opposing directions. Avoidant attachment was associated with less problematic social media use, whilst anxious attachment was associated with more problematic social media use. Avoidant attachment and depressive symptoms in series accounted for part of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use. Anxious attachment and depressive symptoms in series fully mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use. The results suggest that childhood maltreatment may influence social media use directly, but also indirectly. People experiencing depressive symptoms may overuse social media in an attempt to alleviate their distress. However, causality cannot be established with the current design. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Follow-up study on the association between problematic cell phone use and cognitive function of college students in Chizhou City in 2014-2015].

PubMed

He, Qiong; Cheng, Hualing; Zhang, Shichen; Zhu, Peng

2017-09-01

To estimate the association between problematic cell phone use and reasoning ability in adolescent. In a stratified cluster sampling design, problematic cell phone use and reasoning ability were evaluated in 929 college students from three universities for twice in one year's follow-up investigation from June 2014 to May 2015. The cross-sectional analysis showed that the score of problematic cell phone use was significantly associated with the score of reasoning ability( the baseline β =-0. 101, 95% CI-0. 168--0. 034; the follow-up in one year's β =-0. 161, 95% CI-0. 255--0. 067). However, the score of problematic cell phone use on the baseline was not associated with the score of reasoning ability in one year late. Interestingly, after controlling of multiple confounding factors and the score of problematic cell phone use on the baseline, the scores of reasoning ability in one year late decreased 0. 40 points( 95%CI-0. 60--0. 20), by the score of problematic cell phone use in one year lateincreased ten percent compared to that on the baseline. Higher problematic cell phone use is significantly associated with poorer reasoning ability in college students.

Self-control and problematic mobile phone use in Chinese college students: the mediating role of mobile phone use patterns.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhaocai; Zhao, Xiuxin

2016-11-22

With the popularity of mobile phones, problematic mobile phone use is getting increasing attention in recent years. Although self-control was found to be a critical predictor of problematic mobile phone use, no study has ever explored the association between self-control and mobile phone use patterns as well as the possible pathway how self-control affects problematic mobile phone use. Four hundred sixty-eight college students were randomly selected in this study. Data were collected using the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Scale, the Self-Control Scale, and the Mobile Phone Use Pattern Questionnaire. Statistical tests were conducted to identify the potential role of mobile phone use patterns in the association between self-control and problematic mobile phone use. In this sample, female students displayed significant higher mobile phone dependence than males. Self-control was negatively correlated with interpersonal, transaction and entertainment mobile phone use patterns, but positively correlated with information seeking use pattern. Self-control could predict problematic mobile phone use directly and indirectly via interpersonal and transaction patterns. Our research provided additional evidence for the negative association between self-control and problematic mobile phone use. Moreover, interpersonal and transaction use patterns played a mediating role in this link.

A formal anthropological view of motivation models of problematic MMO play: achievement, social, and immersion factors in the context of culture.

PubMed

Snodgrass, Jeffrey G; Dengah, H J Francois; Lacy, Michael G; Fagan, Jesse

2013-04-01

Yee (2006) found three motivational factors-achievement, social, and immersion-underlying play in massively multiplayer online role-playing games ("MMORPGs" or "MMOs" for short). Subsequent work has suggested that these factors foster problematic or addictive forms of play in online worlds. In the current study, we used an online survey of respondents (N = 252), constructed and also interpreted in reference to ethnography and interviews, to examine problematic play in the World of Warcraft (WoW; Blizzard Entertainment, 2004-2013). We relied on tools from psychological anthropology to reconceptualize each of Yee's three motivational factors in order to test for the possible role of culture in problematic MMO play: (a) For achievement, we examined how "cultural consonance" with normative understandings of success might structure problematic forms of play; (b) for social, we analyzed the possibility that developing overvalued virtual relationships that are cutoff from offline social interactions might further exacerbate problematic play; and (c) in relation to immersion, we examined how "dissociative" blurring of actual- and virtual-world identities and experiences might contribute to problematic patterns. Our results confirmed that compared to Yee's original motivational factors, these culturally sensitive measures better predict problematic forms of play, pointing to the important role of sociocultural factors in structuring online play.

The Inhibition of the Rayleigh-Taylor Instability by Rotation.

PubMed

Baldwin, Kyle A; Scase, Matthew M; Hill, Richard J A

2015-07-01

It is well-established that the Coriolis force that acts on fluid in a rotating system can act to stabilise otherwise unstable flows. Chandrasekhar considered theoretically the effect of the Coriolis force on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, which occurs at the interface between a dense fluid lying on top of a lighter fluid under gravity, concluding that rotation alone could not stabilise this system indefinitely. Recent numerical work suggests that rotation may, nevertheless, slow the growth of the instability. Experimental verification of these results using standard techniques is problematic, owing to the practical difficulty in establishing the initial conditions. Here, we present a new experimental technique for studying the Rayleigh-Taylor instability under rotation that side-steps the problems encountered with standard techniques by using a strong magnetic field to destabilize an otherwise stable system. We find that rotation about an axis normal to the interface acts to retard the growth rate of the instability and stabilise long wavelength modes; the scale of the observed structures decreases with increasing rotation rate, asymptoting to a minimum wavelength controlled by viscosity. We present a critical rotation rate, dependent on Atwood number and the aspect ratio of the system, for stabilising the most unstable mode.

The Inhibition of the Rayleigh-Taylor Instability by Rotation

PubMed Central

Baldwin, Kyle A.; Scase, Matthew M.; Hill, Richard J. A.

2015-01-01

It is well-established that the Coriolis force that acts on fluid in a rotating system can act to stabilise otherwise unstable flows. Chandrasekhar considered theoretically the effect of the Coriolis force on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, which occurs at the interface between a dense fluid lying on top of a lighter fluid under gravity, concluding that rotation alone could not stabilise this system indefinitely. Recent numerical work suggests that rotation may, nevertheless, slow the growth of the instability. Experimental verification of these results using standard techniques is problematic, owing to the practical difficulty in establishing the initial conditions. Here, we present a new experimental technique for studying the Rayleigh-Taylor instability under rotation that side-steps the problems encountered with standard techniques by using a strong magnetic field to destabilize an otherwise stable system. We find that rotation about an axis normal to the interface acts to retard the growth rate of the instability and stabilise long wavelength modes; the scale of the observed structures decreases with increasing rotation rate, asymptoting to a minimum wavelength controlled by viscosity. We present a critical rotation rate, dependent on Atwood number and the aspect ratio of the system, for stabilising the most unstable mode. PMID:26130005

Addictive personality and problematic mobile phone use.

PubMed

Takao, Motoharu; Takahashi, Susumu; Kitamura, Masayoshi

2009-10-01

Mobile phone use is banned or regulated in some circumstances. Despite recognized safety concerns and legal regulations, some people do not refrain from using mobile phones. Such problematic mobile phone use can be considered to be an addiction-like behavior. To find the potential predictors, we examined the correlation between problematic mobile phone use and personality traits reported in addiction literature, which indicated that problematic mobile phone use was a function of gender, self-monitoring, and approval motivation but not of loneliness. These findings suggest that the measurements of these addictive personality traits would be helpful in the screening and intervention of potential problematic users of mobile phones.

Using metaphors to investigate cognition-behavior link in problematic Internet use among college students.

PubMed

Koc, Mustafa

2015-09-01

This study employed metaphor analysis as a novel approach to explore college students' metaphorical representations of the Internet and their associations with problematic Internet use (PIU). It aimed to find out whether normal and problematic Internet users conceive the Internet through the same cognitive framework. The sample included 370 college students in Turkey. A questionnaire was conducted to gather metaphorical conceptions of the Internet, patterns of Internet usage, and PIU status. Data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Of the sample, 8.6% were diagnosed with PIU. Home access and entertainment gratification were strong correlates of PIU. Gender and major had no effects on PIU. Participants produced 66 metaphors that were grouped into eight conceptual categories: information source, immensity, basic need, addictive substance, double-edged sword, transporter, mood regulator, and supporter. PIU was the highest in the addictive substance category, followed by basic need and mood regulator categories, with cigarette, water, and friend being the dominant metaphors in these categories, respectively. Problematic users are less likely to conceptualize the Internet as a supportive entity. Normal users are able to verbalize the good and bad aspects of the Internet, but those negatively affected appear to have lost sight of the most useful function of the Internet. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Addictive Behavior Interventions Among College Students.

PubMed

Jeffries, Emily R; Lemke, Austin W; Shah, Sonia M; Dean, Kimberlye E; Richter, Ashley A; Buckner, Julia D

2016-12-01

Addictive behaviors among college students are a significant public health concern. This manuscript reviews the past two years of literature on prevention and treatment approaches for college students who engage in addictive behaviors. In-person skills-based interventions and motivational interventions that incorporate personalized feedback are effective in the short-term but little support was found for long-term effects. Although web-based interventions reduced certain addictive behaviors (e.g., alcohol, problematic gambling), in-person interventions that include motivational interviewing components and personalized feedback appear to be more efficacious. Research has largely focused on alcohol and little is known about the utility of interventions for students who use tobacco or illicit substances or who engage in problematic gambling. Research on interventions for these high-risk behaviors is recommended.

[The model of the big five personality factors and problematic Internet use in Colombian youth].

PubMed

Puerta-Cortés, Diana Ximena; Carbonell, Xavier

2014-01-01

The aim of the study was to relate the basic dimensions of personality formulated by the model of the big five factors with problematic Internet use in a sample of 411 Colombian youngsters, 18-28 years of age, attending three private universities. Online survey questionnaires were administered for: socio-demographics and Internet usage habits, the Big Five Inventory (John, Donahue and Kentle, 1991), to assess personality, and the Internet Addiction Test (Young, 1998), to determine the degree of use of the Internet (controlled, problematic or addictive). The results revealed that 9.7% of the sample has a problematic Internet use. Among them, the majority were male (x2= 12.93, p= 0.01) and performing communication and leisure activities. The problematic use correlates positively with neuroticism and negatively with friendliness and responsibility. On the other hand, is not related to extraversion and openness to experience. Being female and the responsibility dimension are protective factors from problematic use, while neuroticism predicts it. In conclusion, the study data provides empirical evidence of the relationship between personality and problematic Internet use.

Cognitive deficits in problematic drinkers with and without mild to borderline intellectual disability.

PubMed

van Duijvenbode, Neomi; Didden, Robert; VanDerNagel, Joanne El; Korzilius, Hubert Plm; Engels, Rutger Cme

2018-03-01

We examined cognitive deficits in problematic drinkers with and without mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID). Problematic drinkers were expected to show a significantly lower estimated performance IQ (PIQ), but not a lower estimated verbal IQ (VIQ), compared to light drinkers. Participants ( N = 474) were divided into four groups based on IQ and severity of alcohol use-related problems. IQ was estimated using (a short form of) the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale third edition. Severity of alcohol use-related problems was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. Overall, there were no significant differences between light and problematic drinkers on estimated VIQ. Within the group without MBID, estimated PIQ was significantly lower. Estimated PIQ was not lower in problematic drinkers with MBID compared to light drinkers with MBID. The results are indicative of cognitive deficits in problematic drinkers without MBID. Screening for cognitive deficits with additional instruments is advised.

From evidence-based to hope-based medicine? Ethical aspects on conditional market authorization of and early access to new cancer drugs.

PubMed

Sandman, Lars; Liliemark, Jan

2017-08-01

There is a strong patient demand for early access to potentially beneficial cancer drugs. In line with this authorization agencies like the European Medicines Agency are providing drugs with conditional market authorisation based on positive interim analyses. This implies that drugs are used with insecure evidence of efficacy and adverse side-effects. Several authors have pointed to ethical problems with such a system but up to date no indepth ethical analysis of this system is found which is the aim of this article. Drawing of the four generally accepted principles of medical ethics: beneficence, nonmaleficence, respect for autonomy and justice the ethical pros and cons of conditional market authorisation are analysed. From the perspective of beneficence and non-maleficence it is found that the main problem is not risk of adverse side-effects to patients, but rather risk of less beneficial outcomes than what can be expected which could change incentives for patients' choice of treatment. This is also related to the extent to which patients might make an autonomous choice, especially taking into account problematic psychological attitudes and biases in medical decision-making. However, the main problem is related to justice and an equitable distribution of scarce health-care resources given the opportunity cost of drugs treatment. When using resources on cancer treatments which later might be found to be less efficacious than was first expected, other patients (in and outside the cancer field) are deprived of potentially more beneficial treatments even though their needs might be equally or more severe. At the same time, demanding more evidence has an ethical cost to patients in terms of depriving them of potential benefits in terms of reduced mortality and morbidity. In order to handle these ethical conflicts further research and analyses are required and it is suggested that pricing strategies and information requirements are alternatives to be further explored. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inflammatory bowel disease professionals’ attitudes to and experiences of complementary and alternative medicine

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in patients with IBD is on the increase. Patients report they use CAM when their condition is unresponsive to conventional medication or when they suffer from side-effects, negative stress and disease-related concerns. CAM use may improve patients’ well-being but it can also lead to side-effects and interactions with conventional medications. Research on attitudes to and experiences of CAM among healthcare professionals working with IBD patients is not well studied. Studies in this area could lead to enhanced awareness of and improved communication about CAM between care staff and IBD patients. The aim of this study was to explore IBD professionals’ attitudes to and experience of CAM. Methods Sixteen physicians and nurses, 26–70 years old, who had worked with IBD patients for 1–42 years, were recruited. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted. Qualitative content analysis was performed. Results Participants stated patients used CAM to improve their well-being generally and there conditions specifically. Participants had a positive attitude towards CAM and respected their patients’ decision to use it, but reported a lack of CAM knowledge. They required education about CAM to be able to meet patients’ needs and provide adequate information. The result of this study indicates that there is a need for CAM education to be implemented in nursing and medical school. Conclusions All participants had experience of IBD patients who had used CAM in an attempt to achieve improvement and well-being. Attitudes to CAM were mainly positive, although a problematic aspect was lack of knowledge and evidence in relation to CAM. Implementing CAM education in nursing and medical school will allow healthcare professionals to gain an understanding of therapies widely used by patients with IBD. In clinical practice, using a standard questionnaire regarding CAM use allow healthcare professionals to better understand their patients’ wishes and current CAM use. PMID:24325595

Hooked on Facebook: The Role of Social Anxiety and Need for Social Assurance in Problematic Use of Facebook.

PubMed

Lee-Won, Roselyn J; Herzog, Leo; Park, Sung Gwan

2015-10-01

There is a growing concern that excessive and uncontrolled use of Facebook not only interferes with performance at school or work but also poses threats to physical and psychological well-being. The present research investigated how two individual difference variables--social anxiety and need for social assurance--affect problematic use of Facebook. Drawing on the basic premises of the social skill model of problematic Internet use, we hypothesized that social anxiety and need for social assurance would be positively correlated with problematic use of Facebook. Furthermore, it was predicted that need for social assurance would moderate the relationship between social anxiety and problematic use. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with a college student sample in the United States (N=243) to test the proposed hypotheses. Results showed that both social anxiety and need for social assurance had a significant positive association with problematic use of Facebook. More importantly, the data demonstrated that need for social assurance served as a significant moderator of the relationship between social anxiety and problematic Facebook use. The positive association between social anxiety and problematic Facebook use was significant only for Facebook users with medium to high levels of need for social assurance but not for those with a low level of need for social assurance. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.

[Interrelations Between Adolescent Problematic Internet Use and Parental Internet Mediation].

PubMed

Kammerl, Rudolf; Wartberg, Lutz

2018-02-01

Interrelations Between Adolescent Problematic Internet Use and Parental Internet Mediation Everyday life of adolescents and their parents is increasingly characterized by digital media usage (also referred to as "process of mediatization"). In the current study, associations between problematic Internet use of the adolescents (as a possible consequence of the process of mediatization) and parental media education were explored. For this purpose, throughout Germany 1,095 family dyads (an adolescent and a related parent) were investigated with a standardized questionnaire measuring different aspects of parental media education and adolescent problematic Internet use. We conducted two multiple linear regression analyses (dimensional approach) with adolescent problematic Internet use based on self-ratings (model 1, corrected R 2 = 0.18) and parental assessment (model 2, corrected R 2 = 0.24) as response variables. Consistently for self- and parental ratings, adolescent problematic Internet use was statistically significant related to male gender (of the adolescent), a more frequent inconsistent media education (adolescents' and parents' perspective) and a stronger monitoring (parents' perspective). Additionally, we observed associations between the parental rating of adolescent problematic Internet use and a less frequent active and restrictive Internet Mediation (parents' perspective). The findings of the present study show the importance of parental media education for problematic Internet use in adolescence and especially, the role of inconsistent media education should be investigated again in further studies.

[Problematic Internet use, time spent online and personality traits].

PubMed

Laconi, S; Andréoletti, A; Chauchard, E; Rodgers, R F; Chabrol, H

2016-06-01

Internet addiction or problematic Internet use is a recent and increasingly recognized disorder which has been consistently associated with many psychiatric disorders, adding to the documented negative consequences of problematic Internet use. However, very few studies have examined the relationship between problematic Internet use and personality traits and none in a French sample. Moreover, those which have evaluated this relationship have mainly been conducted on small samples. The main goal of our study was to explore the relationship between problematic Internet use, time spent online and personality traits in a French sample, taking into account the presence of depressive symptoms, and gender. A sample of 276 participants aged from 18 to 50 (M=28; SD=8.9) completed a questionnaire assessing problematic Internet use, time spent online, the presence of ten personality traits and depressive symptoms. Our results revealed significant differences between genders. Among men, problematic Internet use was associated with personality clusters A and B while in women no cluster or personality traits were associated. Time spent online was predicted by schizoid personality traits among men and avoidant personality traits among women. Our results indicate that cluster A (schizoid and schizotypal) and cluster B traits (borderline and antisocial) play a more important role in problematic Internet use than cluster C traits among men. Differences between men and women regarding the relationships between personality traits, time online and problematic Internet use may be related to differences in the activities engaged in by men and women online. We observed that communication websites use was more prevalent among women while erotic, gambling and shopping websites use was more prevalent among men suggesting that the characteristics of problematic Internet use may vary according to gender. Few studies have examined the relationship between problematic Internet use, time spent online and personality traits, and none among a French sample. These results suggest the importance of assessing the impact of personality traits on Internet use, particularly on time spent online, by differentiating results in terms of gender and online activities. Copyright © 2016 L'Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

No blank slates: Pre-existing schemas about pharmaceuticals predict memory for side effects.

PubMed

Heller, Monika K; Chapman, Sarah C E; Horne, Rob

2017-04-01

Attribution of symptoms as medication side effects is informed by pre-existing beliefs about medicines and perceptions of personal sensitivity to their effects (pharmaceutical schemas). We tested whether (1) pharmaceutical schemas were associated with memory (recall/recognition) for side effect information (2) memory explained the attribution of a common unrelated symptom as a side effect. In this analogue study participants saw the patient leaflet of a fictitious asthma drug listing eight side effects. We measured recall and recognition memory for side effects and used a vignette to test whether participants attributed an unlisted common symptom (headache) as a side effect. Participants who perceived pharmaceuticals as more harmful in general recalled fewer side effects correctly (r Correct Recall  = -.273), were less able to differentiate between listed and unlisted side effects (r Recognition Sensitivity  = -.256) and were more likely to attribute the unlisted headache symptom as a side effect (r side effect attribution  = .381, ps < .01). The effect of harm beliefs on side effect attribution was partially mediated by correct recall of side effects. Pharmaceutical schemas are associated with memory for side effect information. Memory may explain part of the association between pharmaceutical schemas and the attribution of unrelated symptoms as side effects.

Cognitive group therapy for depressive students: The case study

PubMed Central

Tiuraniemi, Juhani; Korhola, Jarno

2009-01-01

The aims of this study were to assess whether a course of cognitive group therapy could help depressed students and to assess whether assimilation analysis offers a useful way of analysing students' progress through therapy. “Johanna” was a patient in a group that was designed for depressive students who had difficulties with their studies. The assimilation of Johanna's problematic experience progressed as the meetings continued from level one (unpleasant thoughts) to level six (solving the problem). Johanna's problematic experience manifested itself as severe and excessive criticism towards herself and her study performance. As the group meetings progressed, Johanna found a new kind of tolerance that increased her determination and assertiveness regarding the studies. The dialogical structure of Johanna's problematic experience changed: she found hope and she was more assertive after the process. The results indicated that this kind of psycho-educational group therapy was an effective method for treating depression. The assimilation analysis offered a useful way of analysing the therapy process. PMID:20523883

Tanning addiction and psychopathology: Further evaluation of anxiety disorders and substance abuse

PubMed Central

Ashrafioun, Lisham; Bonar, Erin E.

2014-01-01

Background Little research has investigated the correlates of problematic tanning and tanning dependence. Objective To identify characteristics associated with problematic tanning and tanning dependence, and to evaluate simultaneously the associations of variables as correlates of problematic tanning and tanning dependence. Method To assess tanning-related characteristics, psychopathology, and demographics, we administered questionnaires to 533 tanning university students; 31% met criteria for tanning dependence, 12% for problematic tanning. Results Both problematic tanning and tanning dependence were significantly associated with being female (p < .001; p < .001, respectively) and with higher scores on screening measures of obsessive-compulsive (p < .001, p = .005, respectively) and body dysmorphic disorders (p = .019, p < .001, respectively). Frequency of tanning in the past month was the strongest correlate of problematic tanning (p < .001) and tanning dependence (p < .001) when included in a model that controlled for shared variance among demographics and psychopathology. Limitations The sample was recruited from one university and contained only self-report measures. Conclusion Results suggest that those who engage in excessive tanning may also have significant psychiatric distress. Additional research is needed to characterize compulsive, problematic tanning as well as its rates, correlates, and risk factors among diverse samples. PMID:24373775

Mobile gaming and problematic smartphone use: A comparative study between Belgium and Finland.

PubMed

Lopez-Fernandez, Olatz; Männikkö, Niko; Kääriäinen, Maria; Griffiths, Mark D; Kuss, Daria J

2018-03-01

Background and aims Gaming applications have become one of the main entertainment features on smartphones, and this could be potentially problematic in terms of dangerous, prohibited, and dependent use among a minority of individuals. A cross-national study was conducted in Belgium and Finland. The aim was to examine the relationship between gaming on smartphones and self-perceived problematic smartphone use via an online survey to ascertain potential predictors. Methods The Short Version of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPUQ-SV) was administered to a sample comprising 899 participants (30% male; age range: 18-67 years). Results Good validity and adequate reliability were confirmed regarding the PMPUQ-SV, especially the dependence subscale, but low prevalence rates were reported in both countries using the scale. Regression analysis showed that downloading, using Facebook, and being stressed contributed to problematic smartphone use. Anxiety emerged as predictor for dependence. Mobile games were used by one-third of the respective populations, but their use did not predict problematic smartphone use. Very few cross-cultural differences were found in relation to gaming through smartphones. Conclusion Findings suggest mobile gaming does not appear to be problematic in Belgium and Finland.

Relationship Between Problematic Internet Use and Time Management Among Nursing Students.

PubMed

Öksüz, Emine; Guvenc, Gulten; Mumcu, Şule

2018-01-01

The Internet is an essential part of everyday life, particularly for the younger generation. The aims of this study were to evaluate nursing students' problematic Internet use and time management skills and to assess relationship between Internet use and time management. This descriptive study was conducted with 311 nursing students in Ankara, Turkey, from February to April 2016. The data were collected using the Problematic Internet Use Scale and Time Management Inventory. The Problematic Internet Use Scale and Time Management Inventory median scores were 59.58 ± 20.69 and 89.18 ± 11.28, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between both nursing students' Problematic Internet Use Scale and Time Management Inventory median scores and some variables (school grade, the time spent on the Internet). Fourth-year students were more prone to excessive use of the Internet and the resulting negative consequences than students from other year levels (P < .05). A significant negative relationship was also found between problematic Internet use and time management (P < .05). This study demonstrates that the Internet use of participants was not problematic and their time management skills were on a moderate level.

ADHD and risky sexual behavior in adolescents: conduct problems and substance use as mediators of risk.

PubMed

Sarver, Dustin E; McCart, Michael R; Sheidow, Ashli J; Letourneau, Elizabeth J

2014-12-01

Recent studies have linked attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to elevated rates of risky sexual behavior (RSB) in adult samples. The current study tested whether ADHD symptoms were associated with RSB among adolescents, and examined comorbid conduct problems and problematic substance use as joint mediators of this association. ADHD symptoms, conduct problems (oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder symptoms), problematic alcohol use (alcohol use disorder symptoms, alcohol use frequency), problematic marijuana use (marijuana use disorder symptoms, marijuana use frequency), and RSB were assessed among an ethnically diverse cross-sectional sample of adolescents (N = 115; mean age = 14.9 years) involved in the juvenile justice system. Bootstrapped mediation models revealed an initial association between ADHD symptoms and RSB that was accounted for fully by the influence of problematic alcohol and marijuana use, but not conduct problems. A follow-up multiple groups mediation analysis demonstrated that the relationship between ADHD symptoms and RSB emerged only among youth with clinically elevated conduct problems, and that problematic marijuana use fully accounted for this relationship. Hyperactive/impulsive, but not inattentive, symptoms were related to RSB, although the pattern of indirect effects was consistent with the multiple groups analysis. The association between ADHD and adolescent RSB is restricted to youth with elevated comorbid conduct problems and reflects the contributions of comorbid marijuana use problems, and to a lesser extent alcohol use problems. Early identification and treatment of these comorbid conditions may be important for the prevention of negative sexual health outcomes among youth with ADHD. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Policy Problematization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, P. Taylor

2014-01-01

This article places Michel Foucault's concept of "problematization" in relation to educational policy research. My goal is to examine a key assumption of policy related to "solving problems" through such technologies. I discuss the potential problematization has to alter conceptions of policy research; and, through this…

Diagnostic Criteria for Problematic Internet Use among U.S. University Students: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation.

PubMed

Li, Wen; O'Brien, Jennifer E; Snyder, Susan M; Howard, Matthew O

2016-01-01

Empirical studies have identified increasing rates of problematic Internet use worldwide and a host of related negative consequences. However, researchers disagree as to whether problematic Internet use is a subtype of behavioral addiction. Thus, there are not yet widely accepted and validated diagnostic criteria for problematic Internet use. To address this gap, we used mixed-methods to examine the extent to which signs and symptoms of problematic Internet use mirror DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder, gambling disorder, and Internet gaming disorder. A total of 27 university students, who self-identified as intensive Internet users and who reported Internet-use-associated health and/or psychosocial problems were recruited. Students completed two measures that assess problematic Internet use (Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale) and participated in focus groups exploring their experiences with problematic Internet use. Results of standardized measures and focus group discussions indicated substantial overlap between students' experiences of problematic Internet use and the signs and symptoms reflected in the DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder, gambling disorder, and Internet gaming disorder. These signs and symptoms included: a) use Internet longer than intended, b) preoccupation with the Internet, c) withdrawal symptoms when unable to access the Internet, d) unsuccessful attempts to stop or reduce Internet use, e) craving, f) loss of interest in hobbies or activities other than the Internet, g) excessive Internet use despite the knowledge of related problems, g) use of the Internet to escape or relieve a negative mood, and h) lying about Internet use. Tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and recurrent Internet use in hazardous situations were uniquely manifested in the context of problematic Internet use. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Diagnostic Criteria for Problematic Internet Use among U.S. University Students: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation

PubMed Central

Li, Wen; O’Brien, Jennifer E.; Snyder, Susan M.; Howard, Matthew O.

2016-01-01

Empirical studies have identified increasing rates of problematic Internet use worldwide and a host of related negative consequences. However, researchers disagree as to whether problematic Internet use is a subtype of behavioral addiction. Thus, there are not yet widely accepted and validated diagnostic criteria for problematic Internet use. To address this gap, we used mixed-methods to examine the extent to which signs and symptoms of problematic Internet use mirror DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder, gambling disorder, and Internet gaming disorder. A total of 27 university students, who self-identified as intensive Internet users and who reported Internet-use-associated health and/or psychosocial problems were recruited. Students completed two measures that assess problematic Internet use (Young’s Diagnostic Questionnaire and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale) and participated in focus groups exploring their experiences with problematic Internet use. Results of standardized measures and focus group discussions indicated substantial overlap between students’ experiences of problematic Internet use and the signs and symptoms reflected in the DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder, gambling disorder, and Internet gaming disorder. These signs and symptoms included: a) use Internet longer than intended, b) preoccupation with the Internet, c) withdrawal symptoms when unable to access the Internet, d) unsuccessful attempts to stop or reduce Internet use, e) craving, f) loss of interest in hobbies or activities other than the Internet, g) excessive Internet use despite the knowledge of related problems, g) use of the Internet to escape or relieve a negative mood, and h) lying about Internet use. Tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and recurrent Internet use in hazardous situations were uniquely manifested in the context of problematic Internet use. Implications for research and practice are discussed. PMID:26751569

Evaluation of multisystemic therapy pilot services in Services for Teens Engaging in Problem Sexual Behaviour (STEPS-B): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Fonagy, Peter; Butler, Stephen; Baruch, Geoffrey; Byford, Sarah; Seto, Michael C; Wason, James; Wells, Charles; Greisbach, Jessie; Ellison, Rachel; Simes, Elizabeth

2015-11-02

Clinically effective and cost-effective methods for managing problematic sexual behaviour in adolescents are urgently needed. Adolescents who show problematic sexual behaviour have a range of negative psychosocial outcomes, and they and their parents can experience stigma, hostility and rejection from their community. Multisystemic therapy (MST) shows some evidence for helping to reduce adolescent sexual reoffending and is one of the few promising interventions available to young people who show problematic sexual behaviour. This paper describes the protocol for Services for Teens Engaging in Problem Sexual Behaviour (STEPS-B), a feasibility trial of MST for problem sexual behaviour (MST-PSB) in antisocial adolescents at high risk of out-of-home placement due to problematic sexual behaviour. Eighty participants and their families recruited from five London boroughs will be randomized to MST-PSB or management as usual with follow-up to 20 months post-randomization. The primary outcome is out-of-home placement at 20 months. Secondary outcomes include sexual and non-sexual offending rates and antisocial behaviours, participant well-being, educational outcomes and total service and criminal justice sector costs. Feasibility outcomes include mapping the clinical service pathways needed to recruit adolescents displaying problematic sexual behaviour, acceptability of a randomized controlled trial to the key systems involved in managing these adolescents, and acceptability of the research protocol to young people and their families. Data will be gathered from police computer records, the National Pupil Database and interviews and self-report measures administered to adolescents and parents and will be analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. The STEPS-B feasibility trial aims to inform policymakers, commissioners of services and professionals about the potential for implementing MST-PSB as an intervention for adolescents showing problem sexual behaviour. Should MST-PSB show potential, STEPS-B will determine what would be necessary to implement the programme more fully and at a scale that would warrant a full trial. ISRCTN28441235 (registered 25 January 2012).

Multidisciplinary treatment in children with problematic severe asthma: A prospective evaluation.

PubMed

Verkleij, Marieke; Beelen, Anita; van Ewijk, Bart E; Geenen, Rinie

2017-05-01

For children with problematic severe asthma, achieving adequate control of asthma is difficult. The aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the effects of intensive multidisciplinary inpatient treatment on multiple outcome variables in children with problematic severe asthma. Participants were 89 children with problematic severe asthma (mean age 13.6 ± 2.5 years) treated in tertiary care clinics at high altitude (Switzerland) or sea level (Netherlands) and their parents (85 mothers, 55 fathers). The primary outcome variable was the Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT). Other outcome variables were forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV 1 ), fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), quality of life [PAQLQ(S)], children's coping (UCL-A), parents' report of behavioral problems (CBCL), and parenting stress (PSI/NOSI). Evaluations were taken pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-6 months follow-up. Median [P25;P75] treatment duration 74 [56;80] days; Median follow-up interval 131 [103;177] days. The percentages of children showing controlled asthma (C-ACT) were 18% (pre-treatment), 69% (post-treatment), and 44% (follow-up). The vast majority of the children (80%) showed an improvement on C-ACT with 4% showing a deterioration. On C-ACT, FeNO, quality of life, and behavioral problems, improvements at post-treatment were highly significant. Improvements generally remained at a functional level at follow-up. Children's coping and parenting stress in parents did not change. The improvement in asthma control and other outcome variables suggests that multidisciplinary inpatient treatment is an effective approach for a heterogeneous group of children with asthma that remained uncontrolled in secondary care. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017;52:588-597. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Children's Media Use and Self-Regulation Behavior: Longitudinal Associations in a Nationwide Japanese Study.

PubMed

Inoue, Sachiko; Yorifuji, Takashi; Kato, Tsuguhiko; Sanada, Satoshi; Doi, Hiroyuki; Kawachi, Ichiro

2016-10-01

Objective The effect of media use on child behavior has long been a concern. Although studies have shown robust cross-sectional relations between TV viewing and child behavior, longitudinal studies remain scarce. Methods We analyzed the Longitudinal Survey of Babies, conducted by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare since 2001. Among 53,575 families, 47,010 responded to the baseline survey; they were followed up every year for 8 years. Complete data were available for longitudinal analysis among 32,439 participants. Daily media use (TV viewing and video game-playing hours at ages 3, 4, and 5 years) was used as the main exposure. We employed an index of the children's self-regulatory behavior as the outcome variable. Odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Results Among boys, longer TV-viewing times at ages 4 and 5 were related to problematic self-regulatory behavior. Compared with boys who watched just 1-2 h of TV a day, those who watched it 4-5 h had a 1.79-fold greater risk (CI 1.22-2.64) of problematic self-regulatory behavior, according to parental report. Among girls, similar results were evident at ages 4 and 5 (e.g., adjusted odds ratios for 4-5 h daily viewing versus 1-2 h at age 4: 2.59; 95 % CI 1.59-4.22). Video games may have a protective effect on the risk of problematic self-regulatory behavior at ages 3 and 5. Conclusion Longer daily exposure to TV during early childhood (age 4-5) may be associated with subsequent problematic child self-regulatory behavior.

Problematic mobile phone use and big-five personality domains.

PubMed

Takao, Motoharu

2014-04-01

Although a mobile phone is useful and attractive as a tool for communication and interpersonal interaction, there exists the risk of its problematic or addictive use. This study aims to investigate the correlation between the big-five personality domains and problematic mobile phone use. The Mobile Phone Problem Usage Scale and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) were employed in this study. Survey data were gathered from 504 university students for multiple regression analysis. Problematic mobile phone use is a function of gender, extraversion, neuroticism, openness-to-experience; however, it is not a function of agreeableness or conscientiousness. The measurement of these predictors would enable the screening of and intervening in the potentially problematic behaviors of mobile phone users.

Problematic eating behaviors in adolescents with low self-esteem and elevated depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Courtney, Elizabeth A; Gamboz, Julie; Johnson, Jeffrey G

2008-12-01

Previous research has indicated that low self-esteem may be an important risk factor for the development of eating disorders. Few longitudinal studies have examined the relationships between low self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and eating disorders in adolescents. The present study investigated whether low self-esteem was associated with depressive symptoms and problematic eating behaviors. Measures of low self-esteem and problematic eating behaviors were administered to a sample of 197 adolescent primary-care patients. Depressive symptoms and problematic eating behaviors were assessed ten months later. Youths with low self-esteem were at greater risk for high levels of depressive symptoms and eating disorder symptoms. In addition, depressive symptoms mediated the association of low self-esteem with problematic eating behaviors.

Treatment of Partial Rotator Cuff Tear with Ultrasound-guided Platelet-rich Plasma.

PubMed

Sengodan, Vetrivel Chezian; Kurian, Sajith; Ramasamy, Raghupathy

2017-01-01

The treatment of symptomatic partial rotator cuff tear has presented substantial challenge to orthopaedic surgeons as it can vary from conservative to surgical repair. Researches have established the influence of platelet rich plasma in healing damaged tissue. Currently very few data are available regarding the evidence of clinical and radiological outcome of partial rotator cuff tear treated with ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma injection in English literature. 20 patients with symptomatic partial rotator cuff tears were treated with ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma injection. Before and after the injection of platelet rich plasma scoring was done with visual analogue score, Constant shoulder score, and UCLA shoulder score at 8 weeks and third month. A review ultrasound was performed 8 weeks after platelet rich plasma injection to assess the rotator cuff status. Our study showed statistically significant improvements in 17 patients in VAS pain score, constant shoulder score and UCLA shoulder score. No significant changes in ROM were noted when matched to the contra-lateral side ( P < 0.001) at the 3 month follow-up. The study also showed good healing on radiological evaluation with ultrasonogram 8 weeks after platelet rich plasma injection. Ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma injection for partial rotator cuff tears is an effective procedure that leads to significant decrease in pain, improvement in shoulder functions, much cost-effective and less problematic compared to a surgical treatment.

Electromagnetic Considerations for Planar Bolometer Arrays in the Single Mode Limit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wollack, Edward J.; Chuss, David T.; Moseley, Samuel

2006-01-01

Filled arrays of planar bolometers are finding astronomical applications at wavelengths as long as several millimeters. In an effort to keep focal planes to a reasonable size while maintaining large numbers of detectors, a common strategy is to push these arrays to operate close to or at the single mode limit. Doing so introduces several new challenges that are not experienced in the multi-mode case of far-infrared detectors having similar pixel sizes. First, diffractive effects of the pixels themselves are no longer insignificant and will ultimately contribute to the resolution limit of the optical system in which they reside. We use the method of Withlngton et al. (2003) to model the polarized diffraction in this limit. Second, it is necessary to re-examine the coupling between the radiation and the absorbing element that is thermally connected to the bolometers. The small f-numbers that are often employed to make use of large focal planes makes backshort construction problematic. We introduce a new strategy to increase detector efficiency that uses an antireflective layer on the front side of the detector array. In addition, typical methods for stray light control that rely on multiple reflections in a lossy medium fail due to physical size constraints. For this application, we find that resonant absorbers are a more effective strategy that can be implemented in the space available.

[Benzodiazepin addiction: a silent addiction among older people].

PubMed

Oude Voshaar, R C

2012-06-01

Benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed for a longer period of time for anxiety disorders and insomnia in spite of the many guidelines to prescribe these drugs only short-term. These guidelines are based on the risk-benefit balance between long-term effectiveness and side effects like addiction, anterograde amnesia, and increased risk on falling (resulting in hip fractures), traffic accidents and even mortality. Also low-dose benzodiazepine use can lead to benzodiazepine dependence. Although initially most attention has been paid to the physical withdrawal syndrome, psychological aspects of benzodiazepine dependence have received more and more attention in the past decades. Recently, a relationship between the brain-reward system, involved in addiction, and benzodiazepine use, was demonstrated. When long-term benzodiazepine use is recognised as problematic by both physician and patient, different treatment modalities are available to support patients in achieving abstinence. One of every four patients is able to stop by themselves with the aid of a minimal intervention providing psychoeducation and encouragement. Two out of three long-term uses are able to stop their usage with the aid of systematic tapering protocols guided by a physician or psychologist. In case of an underlying insomnia or anxiety disorder, cognitive-behavioural therapy should be added to the tapering protocol. In contrast to the general opinion, advanced old age has no negative impact on the treatment response.

Problematic topic transitions in dysarthric conversation.

PubMed

Bloch, Steven; Saldert, Charlotta; Ferm, Ulrika

2015-01-01

This study examined the nature of topic transition problems associated with acquired progressive dysarthric speech in the everyday conversation of people with motor neurone disease. Using conversation analytic methods, a video collection of five naturally occurring problematic topic transitions was identified, transcribed and analysed. These were extracted from a main collection of over 200 other-initiated repair sequences and a sub-set of 15 problematic topic transition sequences. The sequences were analysed with reference to how the participants both identified and resolved the problems. Analysis revealed that topic transition by people with dysarthria can prove problematic. Conversation partners may find transitions problematic not only because of speech intelligibility but also because of a sequential disjuncture between the dysarthric speech turn and whatever topic has come prior. In addition the treatment of problematic topic transition as a complaint reveals the potential vulnerability of people with dysarthria to judgements of competence. These findings have implications for how dysarthria is conceptualized and how specific actions in conversation, such as topic transition, might be suitable targets for clinical intervention.

Blunted ventral striatal responses to anticipated rewards foreshadow problematic drug use in novelty-seeking adolescents

PubMed Central

Büchel, Christian; Peters, Jan; Banaschewski, Tobias; Bokde, Arun L. W.; Bromberg, Uli; Conrod, Patricia J.; Flor, Herta; Papadopoulos, Dimitri; Garavan, Hugh; Gowland, Penny; Heinz, Andreas; Walter, Henrik; Ittermann, Bernd; Mann, Karl; Martinot, Jean-Luc; Paillère-Martinot, Marie-Laure; Nees, Frauke; Paus, Tomas; Pausova, Zdenka; Poustka, Luise; Rietschel, Marcella; Robbins, Trevor W.; Smolka, Michael N.; Gallinat, Juergen; Schumann, Gunter; Knutson, Brian; Arroyo, Mercedes; Artiges, Eric; Aydin, Semiha; Bach, Christine; Barbot, Alexis; Barker, Gareth; Bruehl, Ruediger; Cattrell, Anna; Constant, Patrick; Crombag, Hans; Czech, Katharina; Dalley, Jeffrey; Decideur, Benjamin; Desrivieres, Sylvane; Fadai, Tahmine; Fauth-Buhler, Mira; Feng, Jianfeng; Filippi, Irinia; Frouin, Vincent; Fuchs, Birgit; Gemmeke, Isabel; Genauck, Alexander; Hanratty, Eanna; Heinrichs, Bert; Heym, Nadja; Hubner, Thomas; Ihlenfeld, Albrecht; Ing, Alex; Ireland, James; Jia, Tianye; Jones, Jennifer; Jurk, Sarah; Kaviani, Mehri; Klaassen, Arno; Kruschwitz, Johann; Lalanne, Christophe; Lanzerath, Dirk; Lathrop, Mark; Lawrence, Claire; Lemaitre, Hervé; Macare, Christine; Mallik, Catherine; Mar, Adam; Martinez-Medina, Lourdes; Mennigen, Eva; de Carvahlo, Fabiana Mesquita; Mignon, Xavier; Millenet, Sabina; Miranda, Ruben; Müller, Kathrin; Nymberg, Charlotte; Parchetka, Caroline; Pena-Oliver, Yolanda; Pentilla, Jani; Poline, Jean-Baptiste; Quinlan, Erin Burke; Rapp, Michael; Ripke, Stephan; Ripley, Tamzin; Robert, Gabriel; Rogers, John; Romanowski, Alexander; Ruggeri, Barbara; Schmäl, Christine; Schmidt, Dirk; Schneider, Sophia; Schubert, Florian; Schwartz, Yannick; Sommer, Wolfgang; Spanagel, Rainer; Speiser, Claudia; Spranger, Tade; Stedman, Alicia; Stephens, Dai; Strache, Nicole; Ströhle, Andreas; Struve, Maren; Subramaniam, Naresh; Theobald, David; Vetter, Nora; Vulser, Helene; Weiss, Katharina; Whelan, Robert; Williams, Steve; Xu, Bing; Yacubian, Juliana; Yu, Tao; Ziesch, Veronika

2017-01-01

Novelty-seeking tendencies in adolescents may promote innovation as well as problematic impulsive behaviour, including drug abuse. Previous research has not clarified whether neural hyper- or hypo-responsiveness to anticipated rewards promotes vulnerability in these individuals. Here we use a longitudinal design to track 144 novelty-seeking adolescents at age 14 and 16 to determine whether neural activity in response to anticipated rewards predicts problematic drug use. We find that diminished BOLD activity in mesolimbic (ventral striatal and midbrain) and prefrontal cortical (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) regions during reward anticipation at age 14 predicts problematic drug use at age 16. Lower psychometric conscientiousness and steeper discounting of future rewards at age 14 also predicts problematic drug use at age 16, but the neural responses independently predict more variance than psychometric measures. Together, these findings suggest that diminished neural responses to anticipated rewards in novelty-seeking adolescents may increase vulnerability to future problematic drug use. PMID:28221370

Problematic digital gaming behavior and its relation to the psychological, social and physical health of Finnish adolescents and young adults.

PubMed

Männikkö, Niko; Billieux, Joël; Kääriäinen, Maria

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to identify problematic gaming behavior among Finnish adolescents and young adults, and evaluate its connection to a variety of psychological, social, and physical health symptoms. This cross-sectional study was conducted with a random sample of 293 respondents aged from 13 to 24 years. Participants completed an online survey. Problematic gaming behavior was measured with the Game Addiction Scale (GAS). Self-reports covered health measures such as psychological health (psychopathological symptoms, satisfaction with life), social health (preferences for social interaction), and physical health (general health, Body Mass Index [BMI], body discomfort, physical activity). Problematic gaming behavior was found to relate to psychological and health problems, namely fatigue, sleep interference, depression and anxiety symptoms. Multiple linear regression indicated that the amount of weekly gaming, depression and a preference for online social interaction predicted increased problematic gaming symptoms. This research emphasized that problematic gaming behavior had a strong negative correlation to a variety of subjective health outcomes.

Do Effect-Size Measures Measure up?: A Brief Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.; Levin, Joel R.; Leech, Nancy L.

2003-01-01

Because of criticisms leveled at statistical hypothesis testing, some researchers have argued that measures of effect size should replace the significance-testing practice. We contend that although effect-size measures have logical appeal, they are also associated with a number of limitations that may result in problematic interpretations of them…

Determining Developmental Education Effectiveness in Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

May, Joseph E.

2017-01-01

One of the most problematic issues facing community colleges is developmental education. In the last decade, more research has been conducted examining developmental education. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of developmental math in a rural community college setting. Is developmental math an effective intervention?…

Critical Incident Effects on Principals: Using School Closure as the Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenarduzzi, Grant P.

2015-01-01

The effect of critical incidents on school principals has been marginally investigated. Principal leadership has many pleasures, but it is often replete with problematic circumstances. The skilled school-based leader requires rationality and diplomacy to manage conflict successfully. This study examined the perceived effects of a critical…

The Relationship between Principal Personality Type and Elementary School Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberson, Tamara Suzanne

2010-01-01

Providing effective administrative leadership that has a positive impact on student achievement often is problematic for school principals. Research suggests that collaboration and shared decision making are functions of effective leadership, and according to the premises of effective school instructional leadership, leadership should change with…

Best Practices for Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy: Patient Selection.

PubMed

Saulino, Michael; Ivanhoe, Cindy B; McGuire, John R; Ridley, Barbara; Shilt, Jeffrey S; Boster, Aaron L

2016-08-01

When spasticity interferes with comfort, function, activities of daily living, mobility, positioning, or caregiver assistance, patients should be considered for intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy. An expert panel consulted on best practices. ITB can be considered for problematic spasticity involving muscles/muscle groups during all phases of diseases, including progressive neurologic diseases. ITB alone or with other treatments should not be exclusively reserved for individuals who have failed other approaches. ITB combined with rehabilitation can be effective in certain ambulatory patients. ITB is also highly effective in managing spasticity in children, who may suffer limb deformity, joint dislocation, and poor motor function from spasticity and muscle tightness on the growing musculoskeletal system. Spasticity management often allows individuals to achieve higher function. When cognition is impaired, ITB controls spasticity without the cognitive side effects of some oral medications. Goal setting addresses expectations and treatment in the framework of pathology, impairment, and disability. ITB is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to baclofen, which is rare, or active infection. Some patients with an adverse reaction to oral baclofen may be mistakenly classified as having an allergic reaction and may benefit from ITB. Relative contraindications include unrealistic goals, unmanageable mental health issues, psychosocial factors affecting compliance, and financial burden. Vascular shunting for hydrocephalus is not a contraindication, but concurrent use may affect cerebrospinal fluid flow. Seizures or prior abdominal or pelvic surgery should be discussed before proceeding to an ITB screening test. ITB should be considered when spasticity interferes with comfort or function. © 2016 International Neuromodulation Society.

Intervening to reduce the risk of future disability from multiple sclerosis: are we there yet?

PubMed

Dahdaleh, Maurice; Alroughani, Raed; Aljumah, Mohammed; AlTahan, Abdulrahman; Alsharoqi, Issa; Bohlega, Saeed A; Daif, Abdulkader; Deleu, Dirk; Inshasi, Jihad; Karabudak, Rana; Sahraian, Mohammed A; Taha, Karim; Yammout, Bassem I; Zakaria, Magd

2017-10-01

Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) delay or may prevent the progression of patients with high-risk clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) to clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS), and from relapsing-remitting MS to secondary progressive MS. Current evidence on the effects of DMT on disability in MS is supported by the use of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), which is dominated by ambulation, and usually used as a secondary outcome measure. Less is known about the long-term effects of DMTs on other aspects of functional status, particularly cognition, which is a key determinant of ability to work. The time scale for measurements of disability is at most a few years, with scant data from more than 10 years of observation. Longer prospective follow-up of large numbers of patients with CIS is needed to determine whether early intervention with a DMT influences long-term disease progression. Finally, the emergence of the radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) as a clinical entity has shifted the debate about when to intervene to an even earlier time frame. Balancing the significant side-effects associated with DMT in general and the expected outcome of pharmacologic intervention is increasingly problematic for managing patients with uncertain prognosis, as many patients may have low-risk CIS, benign MS or patients with RIS only. Preventing long-term disability in MS should be recognised more clearly as an important outcome in its own right, with disability measured more consistently with more sensitive instruments beyond the use of the EDSS.

Understanding of xerostomia and strategies for the development of artificial saliva.

PubMed

Kho, Hong-Seop

2014-01-01

Xerostomia is becoming a major issue in dental and medical clinics with an increase of aged population. Medication is the most common etiology of xerostomia, while the most severe xerostomia generally occurs in patients with a history of head and neck radiotherapy. Xerostomic patients usually suffer from diminished quality of life due to various symptoms and complications. Decreased salivary output is a definite objective sign, but oral mucosal wetness is a more reliable factor for the evaluation of xerostomia. At present there are no effective therapeutic methods for the treatment of xerostomia. Sialogogues may have problematic side effects and their therapeutic effects last only brief duration. Artificial saliva typically does not produce satisfactory results in therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, further research and development of better therapeutic modalities are necessary. The basic concept for the development of ideal and functional artificial saliva is the mimicry of natural human saliva. We need proper candidate molecules and antimicrobial supplements to simulate the rheological and biological properties of human saliva. We also need better understanding of the interactions between the ingredients of artificial saliva themselves and between the ingredients and components of human saliva both in solution and on surface phases. In addition, we need accepted measures to evaluate the efficacy of artificial saliva. In conclusion, for the development of ideal artificial saliva, research based on the understanding of pathophysiology of xerostomia and knowledge about rheological and biological functions of human saliva are necessary.

The (co-)occurrence of problematic video gaming, substance use, and psychosocial problems in adolescents.

PubMed

VAN Rooij, Antonius J; Kuss, Daria J; Griffiths, Mark D; Shorter, Gillian W; Schoenmakers, M Tim; VAN DE Mheen, Dike

2014-09-01

The current study explored the nature of problematic (addictive) video gaming (PVG) and the association with game type, psychosocial health, and substance use. Data were collected using a paper and pencil survey in the classroom setting. Three samples were aggregated to achieve a total sample of 8478 unique adolescents. Scales included measures of game use, game type, the Video game Addiction Test (VAT), depressive mood, negative self-esteem, loneliness, social anxiety, education performance, and use of cannabis, alcohol and nicotine (smoking). Findings confirmed problematic gaming is most common amongst adolescent gamers who play multiplayer online games. Boys (60%) were more likely to play online games than girls (14%) and problematic gamers were more likely to be boys (5%) than girls (1%). High problematic gamers showed higher scores on depressive mood, loneliness, social anxiety, negative self-esteem, and self-reported lower school performance. Nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis using boys were almost twice more likely to report high PVG than non-users. It appears that online gaming in general is not necessarily associated with problems. However, problematic gamers do seem to play online games more often, and a small subgroup of gamers - specifically boys - showed lower psychosocial functioning and lower grades. Moreover, associations with alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use are found. It would appear that problematic gaming is an undesirable problem for a small subgroup of gamers. The findings encourage further exploration of the role of psychoactive substance use in problematic gaming.

The (co-)occurrence of problematic video gaming, substance use, and psychosocial problems in adolescents

PubMed Central

VAN ROOIJ, ANTONIUS J.; KUSS, DARIA J.; GRIFFITHS, MARK D.; SHORTER, GILLIAN W.; SCHOENMAKERS, M. TIM; VAN DE MHEEN, DIKE

2014-01-01

Abstract Aims: The current study explored the nature of problematic (addictive) video gaming (PVG) and the association with game type, psychosocial health, and substance use. Methods: Data were collected using a paper and pencil survey in the classroom setting. Three samples were aggregated to achieve a total sample of 8478 unique adolescents. Scales included measures of game use, game type, the Video game Addiction Test (VAT), depressive mood, negative self-esteem, loneliness, social anxiety, education performance, and use of cannabis, alcohol and nicotine (smoking). Results: Findings confirmed problematic gaming is most common amongst adolescent gamers who play multiplayer online games. Boys (60%) were more likely to play online games than girls (14%) and problematic gamers were more likely to be boys (5%) than girls (1%). High problematic gamers showed higher scores on depressive mood, loneliness, social anxiety, negative self-esteem, and self-reported lower school performance. Nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis using boys were almost twice more likely to report high PVG than non-users. Conclusions: It appears that online gaming in general is not necessarily associated with problems. However, problematic gamers do seem to play online games more often, and a small subgroup of gamers – specifically boys – showed lower psychosocial functioning and lower grades. Moreover, associations with alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use are found. It would appear that problematic gaming is an undesirable problem for a small subgroup of gamers. The findings encourage further exploration of the role of psychoactive substance use in problematic gaming. PMID:25317339

The personality, motivational, and need-based background of problematic Tinder use.

PubMed

Orosz, Gábor; Benyó, Mária; Berkes, Bernadett; Nikoletti, Edina; Gál, Éva; Tóth-Király, István; Bőthe, Beáta

2018-04-12

Background and aims Tinder is a geo-located online dating application, which is present in almost 200 countries and has 10 million daily users. The aim of the present research was to investigate the motivational, personality, and basic psychological need-related background of problematic Tinder use. Methods After qualitative pretest and item construction, in Study 1 (N = 414), confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to corroborate the different motivational factors behind Tinder use. In Study 2 (N = 346), the associations between Big Five traits, Tinder motivations, and problematic Tinder use were examined with structural equation modeling (SEM). In Study 3 (N = 298), the potential role of general self-esteem, relatedness need satisfaction, and frustration in relation to Tinder-use motivations and problematic Tinder use was examined with SEM. Results In Study 1, a 16-item first-order factor structure was identified with four motivational factors, such as sex, love, self-esteem enhancement, and boredom. In Study 2, problematic Tinder use was mainly related to using Tinder for self-esteem enhancement. The Big Five personality factors were only weakly related to the four motivations and to problematic Tinder use. Counterintuitively, Study 3 showed that instead of global self-esteem, relatedness need frustration was the strongest predictor of self-esteem enhancement Tinder-use motivation which, in turn, was the strongest predictor of problematic Tinder use. Discussion Four motivational factors were identified as predictors of problematic use with need frustration being a relevant background variable instead of general personality traits.

Peer attachment, specific patterns of internet use and problematic internet use in male and female adolescents.

PubMed

Reiner, Iris; Tibubos, Ana N; Hardt, Jochen; Müller, Kai; Wölfling, Klaus; Beutel, Manfred E

2017-10-01

Problematic internet use may lead to serious psychosocial dysfunction. Recent studies have found comparable prevalence in both male and female adolescents. We pursue the neglected questions how male and female adolescents differ regarding their patterns of internet use and how gender, peer attachment and patterns of use are related to pathological internet use. In 2410 adolescents (1307 girls and 1103 boys) aged 12-18 years from different types of school we assessed peer attachment, frequency and use of eight specific applications and indicators of pathological internet use. Three patterns of internet use, 'social'; 'sex and games" and 'functional' were identified and connections between variables were modeled by ordered sequences of regression. We found that problematic internet use-sex and games as well as social usage-was more prevalent in boys. Insecure peer attachment predicted problematic internet use in both sexes. Also, excessive usage of internet games and sex mediated the influence of peer attachment insecurity on problematic internet use, but only for boys. Our study identified that adolescents with insecure peer attachment are at higher risk for problematic internet use. With regard to specific types of internet use, the consumption of online games and sex was identified as risk factor in boys with increasing age. Further studies are needed to understand and possibly subgroup problematic internet use behavior in girls. Our findings suggest that increasing the quality of peer relationships may be promising approach in the prevention and treatment of problematic internet use.

Problematic internet use in gamblers: impact on clinical and cognitive measures.

PubMed

Chamberlain, Samuel R; Redden, Sarah A; Leppink, Eric; Grant, Jon E

2017-12-01

Gambling is a commonplace phenomenon, existing along a continuum from occasional gambling to functionally impairing gambling disorder. The internet may act as a conduit for some gambling behaviors. The impact of problematic internet use on clinical and cognitive features relevant to gambling has received little research attention. A total of 206 adults aged 18-30 years who gamble at least five times per year were recruited from the general community and undertook detailed clinical and cognitive assessments. Problematic internet use was defined using a total score of 5 or more on Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire (YDQ). Linear regression was employed to evaluate the relative contribution of addictive-related, impulsive-related, and compulsive-related measures in predicting YDQ total scores in gamblers. Gamblers with problematic internet use (18% of the sample) reported lower quality of life, lower self-esteem, elevated rates of intermittent explosive disorder, gambling disorder symptoms, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, antisocial personality disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as relative deficits in decision making and spatial working memory. In linear regression, the extent of problematic internet use was most significantly associated with increased gambling disorder symptoms and increased ADHD symptoms. Problematic internet use in gamblers is associated with worse quality of life, more problem/pathological gambling symptoms, more psychiatric morbidities, and select cognitive impairment. Refinement of the definition of problematic internet use and exploration of its clinical and cognitive associations are likely to be highly relevant to the treatment of problematic gambling.

Prevalence of problematic cell phone use in an adult population in Spain as assessed by the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS).

PubMed

de-Sola, José; Talledo, Hernán; Rodríguez de Fonseca, Fernando; Rubio, Gabriel

2017-01-01

Problematic cell phone use has alarmingly increased in industrialized countries in the past 10 years. For many perpetrators, it can turn into a behavioural addiction, although this is not a recognized medical condition. Although there are many tools for evaluating this use, one of the most widely used tools is the Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS), which we test on a representative sample of the population in Spain to obtain an estimate of the prevalence of problematic cell phone use in our midst. The age range consists of 16-65 years, with 1,126 surveys conducted. In this population, we verify that the reliability and internal consistency of the MPPUS (α = 0.939) are maintained. Additionally, the construct validity, considering the derived factors (Abuse and Dependence, Craving and Loss of Control, and Dependence on the Social Environment) are aligned with other research and with diverse external criteria of addiction. We establish four categories of users (Casual, Regular, At Risk, and Problematic) and obtain a prevalence of 15.4% among At Risk Users and 5.1% among Problematic Users. This finding implies a total of 20.5% of Users with Problems. A binary logistic regression analysis shows that age, gender, level of education, and daily cell phone use predict problematic cell phone use. The results, based on multiple criteria, show that such problematic use shares features of recognized addictions, affecting large segments of the population and not only adolescents.

The Muslim Problematic: Muslims, State Schools and Security

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miah, Shamim

2016-01-01

Muslims are folk-devils that mark the ubiquitous moral panic. For some, the idea of the "Muslim problematic" signifies a long and worrying trend of creeping "Islamification" of state schools. For others, the discourse of the "Muslim problematic" reflects the ongoing racial patholigisation of Britain's minoritised…

A unified frame of predicting side effects of drugs by using linear neighborhood similarity.

PubMed

Zhang, Wen; Yue, Xiang; Liu, Feng; Chen, Yanlin; Tu, Shikui; Zhang, Xining

2017-12-14

Drug side effects are one of main concerns in the drug discovery, which gains wide attentions. Investigating drug side effects is of great importance, and the computational prediction can help to guide wet experiments. As far as we known, a great number of computational methods have been proposed for the side effect predictions. The assumption that similar drugs may induce same side effects is usually employed for modeling, and how to calculate the drug-drug similarity is critical in the side effect predictions. In this paper, we present a novel measure of drug-drug similarity named "linear neighborhood similarity", which is calculated in a drug feature space by exploring linear neighborhood relationship. Then, we transfer the similarity from the feature space into the side effect space, and predict drug side effects by propagating known side effect information through a similarity-based graph. Under a unified frame based on the linear neighborhood similarity, we propose method "LNSM" and its extension "LNSM-SMI" to predict side effects of new drugs, and propose the method "LNSM-MSE" to predict unobserved side effect of approved drugs. We evaluate the performances of LNSM and LNSM-SMI in predicting side effects of new drugs, and evaluate the performances of LNSM-MSE in predicting missing side effects of approved drugs. The results demonstrate that the linear neighborhood similarity can improve the performances of side effect prediction, and the linear neighborhood similarity-based methods can outperform existing side effect prediction methods. More importantly, the proposed methods can predict side effects of new drugs as well as unobserved side effects of approved drugs under a unified frame.

Drug side effect extraction from clinical narratives of psychiatry and psychology patients

PubMed Central

Kocher, Jean-Pierre A; Chute, Christopher G; Savova, Guergana K

2011-01-01

Objective To extract physician-asserted drug side effects from electronic medical record clinical narratives. Materials and methods Pattern matching rules were manually developed through examining keywords and expression patterns of side effects to discover an individual side effect and causative drug relationship. A combination of machine learning (C4.5) using side effect keyword features and pattern matching rules was used to extract sentences that contain side effect and causative drug pairs, enabling the system to discover most side effect occurrences. Our system was implemented as a module within the clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System. Results The system was tested in the domain of psychiatry and psychology. The rule-based system extracting side effects and causative drugs produced an F score of 0.80 (0.55 excluding allergy section). The hybrid system identifying side effect sentences had an F score of 0.75 (0.56 excluding allergy section) but covered more side effect and causative drug pairs than individual side effect extraction. Discussion The rule-based system was able to identify most side effects expressed by clear indication words. More sophisticated semantic processing is required to handle complex side effect descriptions in the narrative. We demonstrated that our system can be trained to identify sentences with complex side effect descriptions that can be submitted to a human expert for further abstraction. Conclusion Our system was able to extract most physician-asserted drug side effects. It can be used in either an automated mode for side effect extraction or semi-automated mode to identify side effect sentences that can significantly simplify abstraction by a human expert. PMID:21946242

What matters when judging intentionality-moral content or normative status? Testing the rational scientist model of the side-effect.

PubMed

Papadopoulos, C; Hayes, B K

2018-06-01

Previous work has demonstrated a "side-effect effect," such that intentionality is more likely to be attributed to agents who bring about negatively valenced as opposed to positively valenced side effects. The rational-scientist model explains this by suggesting that norm-violating side effects are more informative for inferring intentionality than norm-conforming side effects. In the present study we reexamined this account, addressing limitations of previous empirical tests (e.g., Uttich & Lombrozo, Cognition 116: 87-100, 2010). Side-effect valence and norm status were manipulated factorially, enabling an examination of the impact of norm status on intentionality judgments in both positively and negatively valenced side effects. Additionally, the impact of side-effect norm status on the perceived valences of side effects and agents was examined. Effects of norm status were found for both positive and negative side effects. Violation of an ostensibly neutral norm led to negative perceptions of the side effect. However, a norm status effect on intentionality judgments persisted when these effects were controlled. These results support the view that the side-effect effect is the result of the rational use of social-cognitive evidence.

Insomnia partially mediated the association between problematic Internet use and depression among secondary school students in China.

PubMed

Li, Ji-Bin; Lau, Joseph T F; Mo, Phoenix K H; Su, Xue-Fen; Tang, Jie; Qin, Zu-Guo; Gross, Danielle L

2017-12-01

Background and aims This study aims to examine the mediating effects of insomnia on the associations between problematic Internet use, including Internet addiction (IA) and online social networking addiction (OSNA), and depression among adolescents. Methods A total of 1,015 secondary school students from Guangzhou in China participated in a cross-sectional survey. Levels of depression, insomnia, IA, and OSNA were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire, and Online Social Networking Addiction Scale, respectively. Logistic regression models were fit to test the associations between IA, OSNA, insomnia, and depression. The mediation effects of insomnia were tested using Baron and Kenny's strategy. Results The prevalence of depression at moderate level or above (CES-D ≥ 21), insomnia, IA, and OSNA were 23.5%, 37.2%, 8.1%, and 25.5%, respectively. IA and OSNA were significantly associated with depression (IA: AOR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.71, 4.55; OSNA: AOR = 3.27, 95% CI: 2.33, 4.59) and insomnia (IA: AOR = 2.83, 95% CI: 1.72, 4.65; OSNA: AOR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.61, 2.96), after adjusting for significant background factors. Furthermore, insomnia partially mediated 60.6% of the effect of IA on depression (Sobel Z = 3.562, p < .002) and 44.8% of the effect of OSNA on depression (Sobel Z = 3.919, p < .001), respectively. Discussion The high prevalence of IA and OSNA may be associated with increased risk of developing depression among adolescents, both through direct and indirect effects (via insomnia). Findings from this study indicated that it may be effective to develop and implement interventions that jointly consider the problematic Internet use, insomnia, and depression.

Incidence and severity of self-reported chemotherapy side effects in routine care: A prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Haas, Marion; Viney, Rosalie; Pearson, Sallie-Anne; Haywood, Philip; Brown, Chris; Ward, Robyn

2017-01-01

Aim Chemotherapy side effects are often reported in clinical trials; however, there is little evidence about their incidence in routine clinical care. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency and severity of patient-reported chemotherapy side effects in routine care across treatment centres in Australia. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of individuals with breast, lung or colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Side effects were identified by patient self-report. The frequency, prevalence and incidence rates of side effects were calculated by cancer type and grade, and cumulative incidence curves for each side effect computed. Frequencies of side effects were compared between demographic subgroups using chi-squared statistics. Results Side effect data were available for 449 eligible individuals, who had a median follow-up of 5.64 months. 86% of participants reported at least one side effect during the study period and 27% reported a grade IV side effect, most commonly fatigue or dyspnoea. Fatigue was the most common side effect overall (85%), followed by diarrhoea (74%) and constipation (74%). Prevalence and incidence rates were similar across side effects and cancer types. Age was the only demographic factor associated with the incidence of side effects, with older people less likely to report side effects. Conclusion This research has produced the first Australian estimates of self-reported incidence of chemotherapy side effects in routine clinical care. Chemotherapy side effects in routine care are common, continue throughout chemotherapy and can be serious. This work confirms the importance of observational data in providing clinical practice-relevant information to decision-makers. PMID:29016607

Incidence and severity of self-reported chemotherapy side effects in routine care: A prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Pearce, Alison; Haas, Marion; Viney, Rosalie; Pearson, Sallie-Anne; Haywood, Philip; Brown, Chris; Ward, Robyn

2017-01-01

Chemotherapy side effects are often reported in clinical trials; however, there is little evidence about their incidence in routine clinical care. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency and severity of patient-reported chemotherapy side effects in routine care across treatment centres in Australia. We conducted a prospective cohort study of individuals with breast, lung or colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Side effects were identified by patient self-report. The frequency, prevalence and incidence rates of side effects were calculated by cancer type and grade, and cumulative incidence curves for each side effect computed. Frequencies of side effects were compared between demographic subgroups using chi-squared statistics. Side effect data were available for 449 eligible individuals, who had a median follow-up of 5.64 months. 86% of participants reported at least one side effect during the study period and 27% reported a grade IV side effect, most commonly fatigue or dyspnoea. Fatigue was the most common side effect overall (85%), followed by diarrhoea (74%) and constipation (74%). Prevalence and incidence rates were similar across side effects and cancer types. Age was the only demographic factor associated with the incidence of side effects, with older people less likely to report side effects. This research has produced the first Australian estimates of self-reported incidence of chemotherapy side effects in routine clinical care. Chemotherapy side effects in routine care are common, continue throughout chemotherapy and can be serious. This work confirms the importance of observational data in providing clinical practice-relevant information to decision-makers.

Problematic Internet Usage of ICT Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunduz, Semseddin

2017-01-01

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have affected all area in a society. Human can learn quickly and accurately from the internet. The aim of this study was to investigate what the problematic internet usage of ICT teachers. Therefore, the present study investigated the problematic internet usage, who worked as an ICT teacher in…

An Examination of Predictor Variables for Problematic Internet Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulut Serin, Nerguz

2011-01-01

This study examines problematic Internet use among university students in terms of gender, while also gauging the impact of personality traits, life satisfaction and loneliness variables on problematic Internet use. A total of 411 university students studying Education in North Cyprus participated in the study. The participants were selected using…

Exploration of Problematic Internet Use and Social Interaction Anxiety among Turkish Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuhadar, Cem

2012-01-01

The current study investigated the relationship between problematic Internet use and social interaction anxiety among pre-service teachers. Participants were 1235 students attending teacher training programs at a Turkish state university. The "Problematic Internet Use Scale" and "Social Interaction Anxiety Scale" were used to…

Exploration of Problematic Internet Use and Loneliness among Distance Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozgur, Hasan; Demiralay, Tülay; Demiralay, Ilkay

2014-01-01

The current study investigated the relationship between problematic Internet use and levels of loneliness among 311 distance education students. "The Problematic Internet Use Scale" and "UCLA-Loneliness Scale III" were used to collect the data. Independentsamples t-test and one-way ANOVA were conducted to examine the…

Patient survey to identify reasons for non-adherence and elicitation of quality of life concepts associated with immunosuppressant therapy in kidney transplant recipients.

PubMed

Muduma, Gorden; Shupo, Francis C; Dam, Sophie; Hawken, Natalia A; Aballéa, Samuel; Odeyemi, Isaac; Toumi, Mondher

2016-01-01

Renal transplantation (RT) is considered the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease compared to dialysis, offering better health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and higher survival rates. However, immunosuppressants are essential for the long-term survival of kidney grafts and patients' non-adherence to their medication leads to poor outcomes. Immunosuppressants can also significantly alter patients' HRQoL because of their side effects and the complex chronic medication regimen they represent. To elicit key concepts related to adherence to immunosuppressant therapy (IT) and reasons for non-adherence in terms of patient reported outcomes, side effects, and the impact of the medication on HRQoL in RT population, including patient preference of once daily over twice-daily immunosuppressive regimen. Results were used to develop an IT-specific conceptual framework and provide suggestions for improving patients' adherence to IT. Interviews were conducted with three clinical experts to determine key concepts related to RT and immunosuppressants. Thirty-seven participants in four focus groups were asked to cite important concepts related to adherence and impact of IT on HRQoL and to rate them. Qualitative analysis was conducted to code participants' responses. Non-adherence among participants where admitted was unintentional. The reason for this included forgetfulness, interference with lifestyle, being asleep at the time the medication should be taken, change in routine, and impact of side effects. Overall, participants reported that the evening dose was more problematic to remember and that the exclusion of this dose could make them more adherent. Participants also reported that IT impacted on their HRQoL in a number of ways including: placing restrictions on their lifestyle, causing anxiety, or impairing their ability to work. This study provides qualitative evidence about the barriers to IT adherence and the components of HRQoL that are important from the perspective of RT patients. The developed conceptual framework of IT-HRQoL in RT transplants, including social, psychological, and work life domains, can be used to inform the development of a new IT-specific measure of HRQoL in RT patients for use in head-to-head clinical trials or observational studies. Despite limitations associated with the number and the age range of patients recruited, this study suggests that a change in the regimen from twice-daily to once daily among other measures could improve their adherence to IT and their HRQoL by placing less restrictions on their lifestyles.

Snow water equivalent measured with cosmic-ray neutrons: reviving a little known but highly successful field method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desilets, D.

2012-12-01

Secondary cosmic-ray neutrons are attenuated strongly by water in either solid or liquid form, suggesting a method for measuring snow water equivalent that has several advantages over alternative technologies. The cosmic-ray attenuation method is passive, portable, highly adaptable, and operates over an exceptionally large range of snow pack thicknesses. But despite promising initial observations made in the 1970s, the technique today remains practically unknown to snow hydrologists. Side-by-side measurements performed over the past several years with a snow pillow and a submerged cosmic-ray probe demonstrate that the cosmic-ray attenuation method merits consideration for a wide range of applications—especially those where alternative methods are made problematic by dense vegetation, rough terrain, deep snowpack or a lack of vehicular access. During the snow-free season, the instrumentation can be used to monitor soil moisture, thus providing another widely sought field measurement. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, C.A., Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness.

Validation of molecularly imprinted polymers for side chain selective phosphopeptide enrichment.

PubMed

Chen, Jing; Shinde, Sudhirkumar; Subedi, Prabal; Wierzbicka, Celina; Sellergren, Börje; Helling, Stefan; Marcus, Katrin

2016-11-04

Selective enrichment techniques are essential for mapping of protein posttranslational modifications (PTMs). Phosphorylation is one of the PTMs which continues to be associated with significant analytical challenges. Particularly problematic are tyrosine-phosphorylated peptides (pY-peptides) resulting from tryptic digestion which commonly escape current chemo- or immuno- affinity enrichments and hence remain undetected. We here report on significant improvements in this regard using pY selective molecularly imprinted polymers (pY-MIPs). The pY-MIP was compared with titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) affinity based enrichment and immunoprecipitation (IP) with respect to selective enrichment from a mixture of 13 standard peptides at different sample loads. At a low sample load (1pmol of each peptide), IP resulted in enrichment of only a triply phosphorylated peptide whereas TiO 2 enriched phosphopeptides irrespective of the amino acid side chain. However, with increased sample complexity, TiO 2 failed to enrich the doubly phosphorylated peptides. This contrasted with the pY-MIP showing enrichment of all four tyrosine phosphorylated peptides at 1pmol sample load of each peptide with a few other peptides binding unselectively. At an increased sample complexity consisting of the standard peptides spiked into mouse brain digest, the MIP showed clear enrichment of all four pY- peptides. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Housing First for Adults with Problematic Substance Use.

PubMed

Cherner, Rebecca A; Aubry, Tim; Sylvestre, John; Boyd, Rob; Pettey, Donna

2017-01-01

This study explores the two-year housing- and non-housing-related outcomes for adults who are homeless with problematic substance use who received scattered-site housing and intensive case management services from a Housing First program in Ottawa, Canada, in comparison with a group of adults who are homeless with problematic substance use who had access to standard care in the community. Housing First clients (n = 89) and members of a comparison group (n = 89) completed structured interviews at baseline and were followed for two years. Housing First clients moved into housing more quickly, reported a greater proportion of time housed, were more likely to spend the final six months housed, and had longer housing tenure at 24 months. There was a group by time interaction on problematic alcohol use with more rapid improvement for the comparison group; however, both groups improved over time. The comparison group had a greater decrease on problematic drug use by 24 months. There was no change in physical health and only the comparison group had improvements in mental health by 24 months. The groups had similar improvement on community functioning by 24 months. The comparison group had a greater increase in total quality of life. More specifically, the comparison group had an increase in the family relations-related quality of life, whereas the clients did not. There was a significant interaction for safety-related quality of life, but both groups experienced improvements over time and had comparable levels of satisfaction with safety at each time point. The Housing First clients reported higher levels of satisfaction with living conditions than the comparison group at baseline and 12 months, but not at 24 months. There was significant improvement over time and no main effect of group for finances, leisure, and social relations. Adults who are homeless with problematic substance use can successfully be housed using a Housing First approach. However, further targeted services might be required to address other areas of functioning, such as health, substance use, and quality of life.

Multiple factors govern the association between pharmacology and toxicity in a class of drugs: toward a unification of class effect terminology.

PubMed

Smith, Dennis A; Harrison, Anthony; Morgan, Paul

2011-04-18

The term class effect has gained in use to describe a side effect including toxicity common to a series of drugs. There is no definition of what constitutes a class effect, and it is not applied against a rigid set of criteria.Thus, the finding of toxicity in one of a series of drugs can raise the concern of a class effect, especially if one or more of the others shows findings even slightly related or at very much lower incidence. This is particularly problematic when the term is used loosely or speculatively on initial events that are themselves of low incidence and serious. This speculation exaggerates and distorts the scientific process in establishing the true benefit risk of the individual drugs and can lead to lengthy development times, or highly restrictive labeling, to the detriment of patient welfare. To provide better definition and application of the term, we suggest that the term class effect toxicity is only used when a clear mechanistic link has been established between a safety concern and drug class based on (I) where the primary pharmacology delivers a clear rationale for the observed findings and toxicities; and (II) where the secondary pharmacology is obligate to the class of the molecule and not subject to variation of structure, and the selectivity cannot be impacted significantly by variations in potency introduced by structural manipulation. With these categorizations, we believe class effect toxicity will be mainly confined to I with examples such as the tetracycline class of antibacterials which inhibit protein synthesis both as a mechanism of antibacterial activity and to produce hepatic injury by mitochondrial injury in the liver.

Side effects associated with anti-HIV drugs.

PubMed

Highleyman, L

1998-04-01

Many side effects are associated with the use of anti-HIV drugs, impacting the development of drug resistance and the quality of life for HIV-patients. Concern about side effects is a primary factor in deterring people from beginning HIV therapy. Frequency and severity of side effects vary greatly, but they are frequently more common and severe in people who are taking a new drug or who have advanced HIV disease. Information on side effects comes largely from clinical trials; however, many side effects are not discovered until the drug has been approved and used by larger numbers of people. Side effects vary from serious toxicities that require stopping treatment to uncomfortable or annoying side effects that interfere with daily life. A table categorizes the four major side effects (nausea, fever, skin rash, and fatigue) and divides them into grades that describe their intensity. A chart lists the side effects associated with specific anti-HIV drugs. Suggestions for managing side effects are included.

Reframing the Conversation on College Student Mental Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenbaum, Philip J.; Liebert, Heather

2015-01-01

The expression "mental health" has become ubiquitous when discussing college students' lived experiences. While effective, this expression has not, problematically, been deconstructed. In this article, we explore what "mental health" means. Through doing so we identify three unintended effects embedded within its usage: (a)…

Problematic effects of antibiotics on anaerobic treatment of swine wastewater.

PubMed

Cheng, D L; Ngo, H H; Guo, W S; Chang, S W; Nguyen, D D; Kumar, S Mathava; Du, B; Wei, Q; Wei, D

2018-05-04

Swine wastewaters with high levels of organic pollutants and antibiotics have become serious environmental concerns. Anaerobic technology is a feasible option for swine wastewater treatment due to its advantage in low costs and bioenergy production. However, antibiotics in swine wastewater have problematic effects on micro-organisms, and the stability and performance of anaerobic processes. Thus, this paper critically reviews impacts of antibiotics on pH, COD removal efficiencies, biogas and methane productions as well as the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in the anaerobic processes. Meanwhile, impacts on the structure of bacteria and methanogens in anaerobic processes are also discussed comprehensively. Furthermore, to better understand the effect of antibiotics on anaerobic processes, detailed information about antimicrobial mechanisms of antibiotics and microbial functions in anaerobic processes is also summarized. Future research on deeper knowledge of the effect of antibiotics on anaerobic processes are suggested to reduce their adverse environmental impacts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parental behavioral and psychological control and problematic internet use among Chinese adolescents: the mediating role of self-control.

PubMed

Li, Xian; Li, Dongping; Newman, Joan

2013-06-01

Previous research has reported contradictory effects of parental control on adolescents' problematic Internet use (PIU). To reconcile the discrepant findings, the current study examined the differential effects of parental behavioral control (solicitation and restriction) and psychological control (guilt induction, love withdrawal, and authority assertion) on adolescents' PIU. The mediating effect of self-control on the relationships between parental control and PIU was also examined. A total of 694 Chinese adolescents (M=13.67 years) completed questionnaire measures of parental behavioral control, psychological control, self-control, and PIU. After adjusting for age, gender, and family financial status, it was found that parental restriction (a form of behavioral control) was negatively associated with PIU, whereas love withdrawal (a form of psychological control) was positively associated with PIU. Increased self-control was associated with decreased PIU, and changes in self-control at least partially mediated the differential effects of parental behavioral and psychological control on PIU. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Evidence-Informed Clinical Practice Recommendations for Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Complicated by Problematic Hypoglycemia

PubMed Central

Choudhary, Pratik; Rickels, Michael R.; Senior, Peter A.; Vantyghem, Marie-Christine; Maffi, Paola; Kay, Thomas W.; Keymeulen, Bart; Inagaki, Nobuya; Saudek, Frantisek; Lehmann, Roger

2015-01-01

Problematic hypoglycemia, defined as two or more episodes per year of severe hypoglycemia or as one episode associated with impaired awareness of hypoglycemia, extreme glycemic lability, or major fear and maladaptive behavior, is a challenge, especially for patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes. Individualized therapy for such patients should include a composite target: optimal glucose control without problematic hypoglycemia. Therefore, we propose a tiered, four-stage algorithm based on evidence of efficacy given the limitations of educational, technological, and transplant interventions. All patients with problematic hypoglycemia should undergo structured or hypoglycemia-specific education programs (stage 1). Glycemic and hypoglycemia treatment targets should be individualized and reassessed every 3–6 months. If targets are not met, one diabetes technology—continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion or continuous glucose monitoring—should be added (stage 2). For patients with continued problematic hypoglycemia despite education (stage 1) and one diabetes technology (stage 2), sensor-augmented insulin pumps preferably with an automated low-glucose suspend feature and/or very frequent contact with a specialized hypoglycemia service can reduce hypoglycemia (stage 3). For patients whose problematic hypoglycemia persists, islet or pancreas transplant should be considered (stage 4). This algorithm provides an evidence-informed approach to resolving problematic hypoglycemia; it should be used as a guide, with individual patient circumstances directing suitability and acceptability to ensure the prudent use of technology and scarce transplant resources. Standardized reporting of hypoglycemia outcomes and inclusion of patients with problematic hypoglycemia in studies of new interventions may help to guide future therapeutic strategies. PMID:25998294

Treatment seeking for problematic pornography use among women.

PubMed

Lewczuk, Karol; Szmyd, Joanna; Skorko, Maciej; Gola, Mateusz

2017-12-01

Background and aims Previous studies examined psychological factors related to treatment seeking for problematic pornography use (PU) among males. In this study, we focused on females who seek treatment for problematic PU and compared them with non-problematic pornography users with regard to variables related to problematic PU. Second, we investigated the relationships between critical constructs related to problematic PU with the path analysis method, emphasizing the predictors for treatment seeking among women. We also compared our results with previous studies on males. Methods A survey study was conducted on 719 Polish-speaking Caucasian females, 14-63 years old, including 39 treatment seekers for problematic PU. Results The positive relationship between the mere amount of PU and treatment seeking loses its significance after introducing two other predictors of treatment-seeking: religiosity and negative symptoms associated with PU. This pattern is different from the results obtained in previous studies on males. Discussion Different from previous studies on male samples, our analysis showed that in the case of women, mere amount of PU may be related to treatment-seeking behavior even after accounting for negative symptoms associated with PU. Moreover, religiousness is a significant predictor of treatment seeking among women, which may indicate that in the case of women, treatment seeking for problematic PU is motivated not only by experienced negative symptoms of PU but also by personal beliefs about PU and social norms. Conclusion For females, negative symptoms associated with PU, the amount of PU and religiosity is associated with treatment seeking. Those factors should be considered in treatment.

[Internet and video games among students of Reunion Island in 2010: uses, misuses, perceptions and associated factors].

PubMed

Ricquebourg, M; Bernède-Bauduin, C; Mété, D; Dafreville, C; Stojcic, I; Vauthier, M; Galland, M-C

2013-12-01

Describe the uses of Internet and video games and quantify associated problematic uses. Information on student practices concerning the use of the Internet and video games was collected with a self-administered questionnaire. Problematic uses were identified with specific tools (Young criteria and Tejeiro criteria) and with self-evaluative questions. Information on life events with traumatic potential and use of psychoactive substances was also collected. Logistic regression models were applied to identify possible associated factors. Based on a sample of 1119 subjects, this study showed that students in Reunion Island are very concerned by the uses of the Internet and video games (98% and 46% of respondents). The prevalence of problematic use of the Internet accounted for 6% of respondents. Problematic uses of video games involved 8% of students (18% of gamers). Young people seemed unaware of their problematic practices and were seeking informations. The public respondent was also characterized by vulnerable situations (traumatic events induring their lives, consumption of psychoactive substances). Significant associations (with no identified causality) were examined, in particular between problematic uses of Internet and video games, and life events with traumatic potential. These first estimates of the prevalence of problematic use of Internet and video games on Reunion Island are important to promote locally collective awareness about these modern addictions. These results will be used to guide local actions of prevention and care, especially among younger generations. But it is necessary to conduct further work to better identify the factors associated with these problematic uses (determinants, comorbidities addictive…). Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Prevalence of problematic cell phone use in an adult population in Spain as assessed by the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS)

PubMed Central

de-Sola, José; Talledo, Hernán; Rubio, Gabriel

2017-01-01

Problematic cell phone use has alarmingly increased in industrialized countries in the past 10 years. For many perpetrators, it can turn into a behavioural addiction, although this is not a recognized medical condition. Although there are many tools for evaluating this use, one of the most widely used tools is the Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS), which we test on a representative sample of the population in Spain to obtain an estimate of the prevalence of problematic cell phone use in our midst. The age range consists of 16–65 years, with 1,126 surveys conducted. In this population, we verify that the reliability and internal consistency of the MPPUS (α = 0.939) are maintained. Additionally, the construct validity, considering the derived factors (Abuse and Dependence, Craving and Loss of Control, and Dependence on the Social Environment) are aligned with other research and with diverse external criteria of addiction. We establish four categories of users (Casual, Regular, At Risk, and Problematic) and obtain a prevalence of 15.4% among At Risk Users and 5.1% among Problematic Users. This finding implies a total of 20.5% of Users with Problems. A binary logistic regression analysis shows that age, gender, level of education, and daily cell phone use predict problematic cell phone use. The results, based on multiple criteria, show that such problematic use shares features of recognized addictions, affecting large segments of the population and not only adolescents. PMID:28771626

Video game use in boys with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or typical development.

PubMed

Mazurek, Micah O; Engelhardt, Christopher R

2013-08-01

The study objectives were to examine video game use in boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with those with ADHD or typical development (TD) and to examine how specific symptoms and game features relate to problematic video game use across groups. Participants included parents of boys (aged 8-18) with ASD (n = 56), ADHD (n = 44), or TD (n = 41). Questionnaires assessed daily hours of video game use, in-room video game access, video game genres, problematic video game use, ASD symptoms, and ADHD symptoms. Boys with ASD spent more time than did boys with TD playing video games (2.1 vs 1.2 h/d). Both the ASD and ADHD groups had greater in-room video game access and greater problematic video game use than the TD group. Multivariate models showed that inattentive symptoms predicted problematic game use for both the ASD and ADHD groups; and preferences for role-playing games predicted problematic game use in the ASD group only. Boys with ASD spend much more time playing video games than do boys with TD, and boys with ASD and ADHD are at greater risk for problematic video game use than are boys with TD. Inattentive symptoms, in particular, were strongly associated with problematic video game use for both groups, and role-playing game preferences may be an additional risk factor for problematic video game use among children with ASD. These findings suggest a need for longitudinal research to better understand predictors and outcomes of video game use in children with ASD and ADHD.

Psychometric properties of the problematic online gaming questionnaire short-form and prevalence of problematic online gaming in a national sample of adolescents.

PubMed

Pápay, Orsolya; Urbán, Róbert; Griffiths, Mark D; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Farkas, Judit; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi; Felvinczi, Katalin; Oláh, Attila; Elekes, Zsuzsanna; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2013-05-01

The rise and growing popularity of online games has led to the appearance of excessive gaming that in some cases can lead to physical and psychological problems. Several measures have been developed to explore the nature and the scale of the phenomenon. However, few measures have been validated psychometrically. The aim of the present study was to test the psychometric properties of the 12-item Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire Short-Form (POGQ-SF) and to assess the prevalence of problematic online gaming. Data collection was carried out to assess the prevalence of problematic online gaming in a national representative adolescent sample by using an offline (pen and pencil) method. A total of 5,045 secondary school students were assessed (51% male, mean age 16.4 years, SD=0.9 years) of which 2,804 were gamers (65.4% male, mean age 16.4 years, SD=0.9 years). Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to test the measurement model of problematic online gaming, and latent profile analysis was used to identify the proportion of gamers whose online game use can be considered problematic. Results showed that the original six-factor model yielded appropriate fit to the data, and thus the POGQ-SF has appropriate psychometric properties. Latent profile analysis revealed that 4.6% of the adolescents belong to a high risk group and an additional 13.3% to a low risk group. Due to its satisfactory psychometric characteristics, the 12-item POGQ-SF appears to be an adequate tool for the assessment of problematic online gaming.

Side Effect Perceptions and Their Impact on Treatment Decisions in Women.

PubMed

Waters, Erika A; Pachur, Thorsten; Colditz, Graham A

2017-04-01

Side effects prompt some patients to forego otherwise-beneficial therapies. This study explored which characteristics make side effects particularly aversive. We used a psychometric approach, originating from research on risk perception, to identify the factors (or components) underlying side effect perceptions. Women ( N = 149) aged 40 to 74 years were recruited from a patient registry to complete an online experiment. Participants were presented with hypothetical scenarios in which an effective and necessary medication conferred a small risk of a single side effect (e.g., nausea, dizziness). They rated a broad range of side effects on several characteristics (e.g., embarrassing, treatable). In addition, we collected 4 measures of aversiveness for each side effect: choosing to take the medication, willingness to pay to avoid the side effect (WTP), negative affective attitude associated with the side effect, and how each side effect ranks among others in terms of undesirability. A principal components analysis (PCA) was used to identify the components underlying side effect perceptions. Then, for each aversiveness measure separately, regression analyses were used to determine which components predicted differences in aversiveness among the side effects. The PCA revealed 4 components underlying side effect perceptions: affective challenge (e.g., frightening), social challenge (e.g., disfiguring), physical challenge (e.g., painful), and familiarity (e.g., common). Side effects perceived as affectively and physically challenging elicited the highest levels of aversiveness across all 4 measures. Understanding what side effect characteristics are most aversive may inform interventions to improve medical decisions and facilitate the translation of novel biomedical therapies into clinical practice.

Side Effect Perceptions and their Impact on Treatment Decisions in Women

PubMed Central

Waters, Erika A.; Pachur, Thorsten; Colditz, Graham A.

2016-01-01

Background Side effects prompt some patients to forego otherwise-beneficial therapies. This study explored which characteristics make side effects particularly aversive. Methods We used a psychometric approach, originating from research on risk perception, to identify the factors (or components) underlying side effect perceptions. Women (N=149) aged 40–74 were recruited from a patient registry to complete an online experiment. Participants were presented with hypothetical scenarios in which an effective and necessary medication conferred a small risk of a single side effect (e.g., nausea, dizziness). They rated a broad range of side effects on several characteristics (e.g., embarrassing, treatable). In addition, we collected four measures of aversiveness for each side effect: choosing to take the medication, willingness to pay to avoid the side effect (WTP), negative affective attitude associated with the side effect, and how each side effect ranks among others in terms of undesirability. A principle-components analysis (PCA) was used to identify the components underlying side effect perceptions. Then, for each aversiveness measure separately, regression analyses were used to determine which components predicted differences in aversiveness among the side effects. Results The PCA revealed four components underlying side effect perceptions: affective challenge (e.g., frightening), social challenge (e.g., disfiguring), physical challenge (e.g., painful), and familiarity (e.g., common). Side effects perceived as affectively and physically challenging elicited the highest levels of aversiveness across all four measures. Conclusions Understanding what side effect characteristics are most aversive may inform interventions to improve medical decisions and facilitate the translation of novel biomedical therapies into clinical practice. PMID:27216581

Effect of Communication Style on Perceptions of Medication Side Effect Risk among Pharmacy Students.

PubMed

Sawant, Ruta V; Beatty, Collin R; Sansgiry, Sujit S

2016-10-25

Objective. To assess the effect of communication style, and frequency and severity of medication side-effects, on pharmacy students' perception of risk of experiencing side effects. Methods. One hundred responses from pharmacy students were obtained using an online survey. Participants were presented with a drug information box containing drug name, drug usage, and one side-effect associated with the drug. Information on side-effect for each drug was presented in one of eight experimental conditions, in a 2 (side-effect frequency: low, high), X2 (side-effect severity: mild, severe) X2 (communication style: verbal, verbal + natural frequency) factorial design. Risk perception of experiencing side effects was measured. Results. Communication style was found to have a significant impact on risk perception depending on the context of frequency and severity associated with the side effect. Conclusion. Communication style plays a significant role in formulating risk perceptions of medication side effects. Training in pharmaceutical counseling should include special emphasis on effective language use.

Cognitive Deficits in Problematic Drinkers with and without Mild to Borderline Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Duijvenbode, Neomi; Didden, Robert; VanDerNagel, Joanne E. L.; Korzilius, Hubert P. L. M.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.

2018-01-01

We examined cognitive deficits in problematic drinkers with and without mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID). Problematic drinkers were expected to show a significantly lower estimated performance IQ (PIQ), but not a lower estimated verbal IQ (VIQ), compared to light drinkers. Participants (N = 474) were divided into four groups based…

Problematic digital gaming behavior and its relation to the psychological, social and physical health of Finnish adolescents and young adults

PubMed Central

Männikkö, Niko; Billieux, Joël; Kääriäinen, Maria

2015-01-01

Background and Aims The aim of this study was to identify problematic gaming behavior among Finnish adolescents and young adults, and evaluate its connection to a variety of psychological, social, and physical health symptoms. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted with a random sample of 293 respondents aged from 13 to 24 years. Participants completed an online survey. Problematic gaming behavior was measured with the Game Addiction Scale (GAS). Self-reports covered health measures such as psychological health (psychopathological symptoms, satisfaction with life), social health (preferences for social interaction), and physical health (general health, Body Mass Index [BMI], body discomfort, physical activity). Results Problematic gaming behavior was found to relate to psychological and health problems, namely fatigue, sleep interference, depression and anxiety symptoms. Multiple linear regression indicated that the amount of weekly gaming, depression and a preference for online social interaction predicted increased problematic gaming symptoms. Conclusions This research emphasized that problematic gaming behavior had a strong negative correlation to a variety of subjective health outcomes. PMID:26690623

Problematic mobile phone use of Swiss adolescents: is it linked with mental health or behaviour?

PubMed

Roser, Katharina; Schoeni, Anna; Foerster, Milena; Röösli, Martin

2016-04-01

To investigate the associations between problematic mobile phone use and mental health and behavioural problems in 412 Swiss adolescents owning a mobile phone while controlling for amount of mobile phone use. Problematic mobile phone use was determined by the MPPUS-10 (Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale) and related to health and behavioural problems by means of multivariable regression modelling. MPPUS-10 was 4.7 (95 % CI 1.8, 7.6) units higher in girls than in boys, increased significantly with age and was significantly decreased with increasing educational level of the parents. Furthermore, problematic mobile phone use was associated with impaired psychological well-being, impaired parent and school relationships and more behavioural problems but was not related to peer support and social acceptance. Our study indicates that problematic mobile phone use is associated with external factors such as worse home and school environment and internal factors such as impaired mental health and behavioural problems of the adolescents and thus problematic mobile phone use should be addressed, in particular when dealing with adolescents showing behavioural or emotional problems.

Ethnic differences in problem perception: Immigrant mothers in a parenting intervention to reduce disruptive child behavior.

PubMed

Leijten, Patty; Raaijmakers, Maartje A J; Orobio de Castro, Bram; Matthys, Walter

2016-01-01

Ethnic minority families in Europe are underrepresented in mental health care-a profound problem for clinicians and policymakers. One reason for their underrepresentation seems that, on average, ethnic minority families tend to perceive externalizing and internalizing child behavior as less problematic. There is concern that this difference in problem perception might limit intervention effectiveness. We tested the extent to which ethnic differences in problem perception exist when ethnic minority families engage in mental health service and whether lower levels of problem perception diminish parenting intervention effects to reduce disruptive child behavior. Our sample included 136 mothers of 3- to 8-year-olds (35% female) from the 3 largest ethnic groups in the Netherlands (43% Dutch; 35% Moroccan; 22% Turkish). Mothers reported on their child's externalizing and internalizing behavior and their perception of this behavior as problematic. They were then randomly assigned to the Incredible Years parenting intervention or a wait list control condition. We contrasted maternal reports of problem perception to teacher reports of the same children. Moroccan and Turkish mothers, compared with Dutch mothers, perceived similar levels of child behavior problems as less problematic, and as causing less impairment and burden. Teacher problem perception did not vary across children from different ethnic groups. Importantly, maternal problem perception did not affect parenting intervention effectiveness to reduce disruptive child behavior. Our findings suggest that ethnic differences in problem perception exist once families engage in treatment, but that lower levels of problem perception do not diminish treatment effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effectiveness of a Structured Functional Behavior Assessment Procedure: Teacher Training as a Moderator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods, Bonnie

2013-01-01

Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) is a collaborative, standardized process that was developed as a way to address identified barriers to completing effective functional behavior assessments (FBAs) in public schools. Current research literature documents the effectiveness of the PTR process in decreasing problematic behaviors and increasing social…

Are Adolescents Engaged in the Problematic Use of Social Networking Sites More Involved in Peer Aggression and Victimization?

PubMed

Martínez-Ferrer, Belén; Moreno, David; Musitu, Gonzalo

2018-01-01

The problematic use of social networking sites is becoming a major public health concern. Previous research has found that adolescents who engage in a problematic use of social networking sites are likely to show maladjustment problems. However, little is known about its links with peer aggression and victimization. The main goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression -overt vs. relational and reactive vs. instrumental-, and peer victimization -overt physical and verbal, and relational-, taking into account gender and age (in early and mid-adolescence). Participants were selected using randomized cluster sampling considering school and class as clusters. A battery of instruments was applied to 1,952 adolescents' secondary students from Spain (Andalusia) (50.4% boys), aged 11 to 16 ( M = 14.07, SD = 1.39). Results showed that girls and 14-16 adolescents were more involved in a problematic use of online social networking sites. Furthermore, adolescents with high problematic use of online social networking sites were more involved in overt-reactive and instrumental-and relational-reactive and instrumental-aggressive behaviors, and self-reported higher levels of overt-physical and verbal-and relational victimization. Even though boys indicated higher levels of all types of victimization, girls with high problematic use of online social networking sites scored the highest on relational victimization. Relating to age, early adolescents (aged 11-14) with higher problematic use of online social networking sites reported the highest levels of overt verbal and relational victimization. Overall, results suggested the co-occurrence of problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression and victimization. In addition, results showed the influence that gender and age had on peer victimization. This study highlights the continuity between offline and online domains with regard to maladjustment problems in adolescence.

A longitudinal study of the individual- and group-level problematic gaming and associations with problem gambling among Swedish adolescents.

PubMed

Vadlin, Sofia; Åslund, Cecilia; Nilsson, Kent W

2018-04-01

The aims of this study were to investigate the long-term stability of problematic gaming among adolescents and whether problematic gaming at wave 1 (W1) was associated with problem gambling at wave 2 (W2), three years later. Data from the SALVe cohort, including adolescents in Västmanland born in 1997 and 1999, were accessed and analyzed in two waves W2, N  =   1576; 914 (58%) girls). At W1, the adolescents were 13 and 15 years old, and at W2, they were 16 and 18 years old. Adolescents self-rated on the Gaming Addiction Identification Test (GAIT), Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), and gambling frequencies. Stability of gaming was determined using Gamma correlation, Spearman's rho, and McNemar. Logistic regression analysis and general linear model (GLM) analysis were performed and adjusted for sex, age, and ethnicity, frequency of gambling activities and gaming time at W1, with PGSI as the dependent variable, and GAIT as the independent variable, to investigate associations between problematic gaming and problem gambling. Problematic gaming was relative stable over time, γ = 0.739, p  ≤   .001, ρ = 0.555, p  ≤   .001, and McNemar p  ≤   .001. Furthermore, problematic gaming at W1 increased the probability of having problem gambling three years later, logistic regression OR = 1.886 (95% CI 1.125-3.161), p  =   .016, GLM F  = 10.588, η 2  = 0.007, p =  .001. Problematic gaming seems to be relatively stable over time. Although associations between problematic gaming and later problem gambling were found, the low explained variance indicates that problematic gaming in an unlikely predictor for problem gambling within this sample.

Are Adolescents Engaged in the Problematic Use of Social Networking Sites More Involved in Peer Aggression and Victimization?

PubMed Central

Martínez-Ferrer, Belén; Moreno, David; Musitu, Gonzalo

2018-01-01

The problematic use of social networking sites is becoming a major public health concern. Previous research has found that adolescents who engage in a problematic use of social networking sites are likely to show maladjustment problems. However, little is known about its links with peer aggression and victimization. The main goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression –overt vs. relational and reactive vs. instrumental–, and peer victimization –overt physical and verbal, and relational–, taking into account gender and age (in early and mid-adolescence). Participants were selected using randomized cluster sampling considering school and class as clusters. A battery of instruments was applied to 1,952 adolescents' secondary students from Spain (Andalusia) (50.4% boys), aged 11 to 16 (M = 14.07, SD = 1.39). Results showed that girls and 14–16 adolescents were more involved in a problematic use of online social networking sites. Furthermore, adolescents with high problematic use of online social networking sites were more involved in overt—reactive and instrumental—and relational—reactive and instrumental—aggressive behaviors, and self-reported higher levels of overt—physical and verbal—and relational victimization. Even though boys indicated higher levels of all types of victimization, girls with high problematic use of online social networking sites scored the highest on relational victimization. Relating to age, early adolescents (aged 11–14) with higher problematic use of online social networking sites reported the highest levels of overt verbal and relational victimization. Overall, results suggested the co-occurrence of problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression and victimization. In addition, results showed the influence that gender and age had on peer victimization. This study highlights the continuity between offline and online domains with regard to maladjustment problems in adolescence. PMID:29896139

Effects of the noncompetitive N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists ketamine and MK-801 on pain-stimulated and pain-depressed behaviour in rats.

PubMed

Hillhouse, T M; Negus, S S

2016-09-01

Pain is a significant public health concern, and current pharmacological treatments have problematic side effects and limited effectiveness. N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonists have emerged as one class of candidate treatments for pain because of the significant contribution of glutamate signalling in nociceptive processing. This study compared effects of the NMDA receptor antagonists ketamine and MK-801 in assays of pain-stimulated and pain-depressed behaviour in rats. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug ketoprofen was examined for comparison as a positive control. Intraperitoneal injection of dilute acid served as an acute visceral noxious stimulus to stimulate a stretching response or depress intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Ketamine (1.0-10.0 mg/kg) blocked acid-stimulated stretching but failed to block acid-induced depression of ICSS, whereas MK-801 (0.01-0.1 mg/kg) blocked both acid-stimulated stretching and acid-induced depression of ICSS. These doses of ketamine and MK-801 did not alter control ICSS in the absence of the noxious stimulus; however, higher doses of ketamine (10 mg/kg) and MK-801 (0.32 mg/kg) depressed all behaviour. Ketoprofen (1.0 mg/kg) blocked both acid-induced stimulation of stretching and depression of ICSS without altering control ICSS. These results support further consideration of NMDA receptor antagonists as analgesics; however, some NMDA receptor antagonists are more efficacious at attenuating pain-depressed behaviours. NMDA receptor antagonists produce dissociable effects on pain-depressed behaviour. Provides evidence that pain-depressed behaviours should be considered and evaluated when determining the antinociceptive effects of NMDA receptor antagonists. © 2016 European Pain Federation - EFIC®

Effects of the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists ketamine and MK-801 on pain-stimulated and pain-depressed behaviour in rats

PubMed Central

Hillhouse, T.M.; Negus, S.S.

2017-01-01

Background Pain is a significant public health concern, and current pharmacological treatments have problematic side effects and limited effectiveness. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonists have emerged as one class of candidate treatments for pain because of the significant contribution of glutamate signalling in nociceptive processing. Methods This study compared effects of the NMDA receptor antagonists ketamine and MK-801 in assays of pain-stimulated and pain-depressed behaviour in rats. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug ketoprofen was examined for comparison as a positive control. Intraperitoneal injection of dilute acid served as an acute visceral noxious stimulus to stimulate a stretching response or depress intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) in male Sprague–Dawley rats. Results Ketamine (1.0–10.0 mg/kg) blocked acid-stimulated stretching but failed to block acid-induced depression of ICSS, whereas MK-801 (0.01–0.1 mg/kg) blocked both acid-stimulated stretching and acid-induced depression of ICSS. These doses of ketamine and MK-801 did not alter control ICSS in the absence of the noxious stimulus; however, higher doses of ketamine (10 mg/kg) and MK-801 (0.32 mg/kg) depressed all behaviour. Ketoprofen (1.0 mg/kg) blocked both acid-induced stimulation of stretching and depression of ICSS without altering control ICSS. Conclusion These results support further consideration of NMDA receptor antagonists as analgesics; however, some NMDA receptor antagonists are more efficacious at attenuating pain-depressed behaviours. What does this study add? NMDA receptor antagonists produce dissociable effects on pain-depressed behaviour. Provides evidence that pain-depressed behaviours should be considered and evaluated when determining the antinociceptive effects of NMDA receptor antagonists. PMID:26914635

Associations between problematic gaming and psychiatric symptoms among adolescents in two samples.

PubMed

Vadlin, Sofia; Åslund, Cecilia; Hellström, Charlotta; Nilsson, Kent W

2016-10-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between problematic gaming and psychiatric symptoms among adolescents. Data from adolescents in the SALVe cohort, including adolescents in Västmanland who were born in 1997 and 1999 (N=1868; 1034 girls), and data from consecutive adolescent psychiatric outpatients in Västmanland (N=242; 169 girls) were analyzed. Adolescents self-rated on the Gaming Addiction Identification Test (GAIT), Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Adolescent version (ASRS-A), Depression Self-Rating Scale Adolescent version (DSRS-A), Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS), and psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed, and adjusted for sex, age, study population, school bullying, family maltreatment, and interactions by sex, with two-way interactions between psychiatric measurements. Boys had higher self-rated problematic gaming in both samples, whereas girls self-rated higher in all psychiatric domains. Boys had more than eight times the probability, odds ratio (OR), of having problematic gaming. Symptoms of ADHD, depression and anxiety were associated with ORs of 2.43 (95% CI 1.44-4.11), 2.47 (95% CI 1.44-4.25), and 2.06 (95% CI 1.27-3.33), respectively, in relation to coexisting problematic gaming. Problematic gaming was associated with psychiatric symptoms in adolescents; when problematic gaming is considered, the probability of coexisting psychiatric symptoms should also be considered, and vice versa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association between anxiety symptoms and problematic alcohol use in adolescents.

PubMed

Costa, Marianna de Abreu; Salum Junior, Giovanni Abrahão; Isolan, Luciano Rassier; Acosta, Jandira Rahmeier; Jarros, Rafaela Behs; Blaya, Carolina; Diemen, Lísia Von; Manfro, Gisele Gus

2013-01-01

Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent, affecting approximately 10% of individuals throughout life; its onset can be detected since early childhood or adolescence. Studies in adults have shown that anxiety disorders are associated with alcohol abuse, but few studies have investigated the association between anxiety symptoms and problematic alcohol use in early ages. To evaluate if anxiety symptoms are associated with problematic alcohol use in young subjects. A total of 239 individuals aged 10-17 years were randomly selected from schools located in the catchment area of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) was used to evaluate the presence of anxiety symptoms, and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), to evaluate alcohol use. One hundred twenty-seven individuals (53.1% ) reported having already used alcohol. Of these, 14 individuals showed problematic alcohol use (5.8% ). There was no association between lifetime use of alcohol and anxiety symptoms, but mean SCARED scores in individuals with problematic alcohol use was higher if compared to those without problematic use, even after adjustment for age and gender (29.9±8.5 vs. 23.7±11.8, p < 0.001). Despite the limitation of a cross-sectional design, our study suggests that anxiety symptoms are associated with problematic alcohol use early in life.

The problem of fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors - Model validation and experimental evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsibranska, Irene; Vlaev, Serafim; Tylkowski, Bartosz

2018-01-01

Integrating biological treatment with membrane separation has found a broad area of applications and industrial attention. Submerged membrane bioreactors (SMBRs), based on membrane modules immersed in the bioreactor, or side stream ones connected in recycle have been employed in different biotechnological processes for separation of thermally unstable products. Fouling is one of the most important challenges in the integrated SMBRs. A number of works are devoted to fouling analysis and its treatment, especially exploring the opportunity for enhanced fouling control in SMBRs. The main goal of the review is to provide a comprehensive yet concise overview of modeling the fouling in SMBRs in view of the problematics of model validation, either by real system measurements at different scales or by analysis of the obtained theoretical results. The review is focused on the current state of research applying computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling techniques.

Health Related Quality of Life in Patients with Side-Effects after Antimuscarinic Treatment for Overactive Bladder.

PubMed

Kim, Aram; Lee, Kyu-Sung; Jung, Rangrhee; Na, Selee; Kim, Joon-Chul; Kim, Hyeong Gon; Choo, Myung-Soo

2017-09-01

Drug therapy is the mainstay of treatment for overactive bladder (OAB), but antimuscarinic agents possess side-effects. These side-effects decrease the patients' quality of life. We therefore assessed the impact of side-effects on health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) through an analysis of EQ-5D questionnaire. This study was designed to investigate the patients' satisfaction by quality weight of health status as affected by the side-effects of OAB medications. Patients who had OAB symptoms lasting longer than 3 months and have experienced side-effects after any antimuscarinic treatments filled in the EQ-5D questionnaire. The enrolled patients had two EQ-5D questionnaires for two different health statuses, i.e., presence or absence of side-effects. Quality weight was calculated using the ED-5D health status score with Korean tariff. One hundred patients were enrolled and completed the HR-QoL questionnaire. The most prevalent side-effect was dry mouth (61%) and 28% patients had dry mouth and constipation concurrently. Most of the patients with side-effects tried to endure and overcome these side-effects (79%), but 10% desired a change in medication, and 6% stopped medication altogether. The quality weight of EQ-5D without side-effects was 0.863, while the quality weight with side-effects was 0.666 (P < 0.001). The VAS score was 79 in patient without side-effects and 57 in those with side-effects, supporting the results of quality weight assessment. Overactive bladder patients may enjoy a better quality of life if side-effects associated with antimuscarinic therapy are fewer. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

An Investigation of the Problematic Internet Use of Teacher Candidates Based on Personality Types, Shyness and Demographic Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozturk, Ebru; Kaymak Ozmen, Suna

2011-01-01

Researches proved that a new psychological disorder of problematic Internet use was associated with individual characteristics as loneliness, shyness, anxiety, depression, personality type, and self-cognition. But there appears to be little consensus about Problematic Internet Use disorder. Consequently the aim of study was to investigate…

Evidence-informed clinical practice recommendations for treatment of type 1 diabetes complicated by problematic hypoglycemia.

PubMed

Choudhary, Pratik; Rickels, Michael R; Senior, Peter A; Vantyghem, Marie-Christine; Maffi, Paola; Kay, Thomas W; Keymeulen, Bart; Inagaki, Nobuya; Saudek, Frantisek; Lehmann, Roger; Hering, Bernhard J

2015-06-01

Problematic hypoglycemia, defined as two or more episodes per year of severe hypoglycemia or as one episode associated with impaired awareness of hypoglycemia, extreme glycemic lability, or major fear and maladaptive behavior, is a challenge, especially for patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes. Individualized therapy for such patients should include a composite target: optimal glucose control without problematic hypoglycemia. Therefore, we propose a tiered, four-stage algorithm based on evidence of efficacy given the limitations of educational, technological, and transplant interventions. All patients with problematic hypoglycemia should undergo structured or hypoglycemia-specific education programs (stage 1). Glycemic and hypoglycemia treatment targets should be individualized and reassessed every 3-6 months. If targets are not met, one diabetes technology-continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion or continuous glucose monitoring-should be added (stage 2). For patients with continued problematic hypoglycemia despite education (stage 1) and one diabetes technology (stage 2), sensor-augmented insulin pumps preferably with an automated low-glucose suspend feature and/or very frequent contact with a specialized hypoglycemia service can reduce hypoglycemia (stage 3). For patients whose problematic hypoglycemia persists, islet or pancreas transplant should be considered (stage 4). This algorithm provides an evidence-informed approach to resolving problematic hypoglycemia; it should be used as a guide, with individual patient circumstances directing suitability and acceptability to ensure the prudent use of technology and scarce transplant resources. Standardized reporting of hypoglycemia outcomes and inclusion of patients with problematic hypoglycemia in studies of new interventions may help to guide future therapeutic strategies. © 2015 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

Problematic Internet use and problematic alcohol use from the cognitive-behavioral model: a longitudinal study among adolescents.

PubMed

Gámez-Guadix, Manuel; Calvete, Esther; Orue, Izaskun; Las Hayas, Carlota

2015-01-01

Problematic Internet use (PIU) and problematic alcohol use are two pervasive problems during adolescence that share similar characteristics and predictors. The first objective of this study was to analyze the temporal and reciprocal relationships among the main components of PIU from the cognitive-behavioral model (preference for online social interaction, mood regulation through the Internet, deficient self-regulation, and negative consequences). The second objective was to examine the temporal and reciprocal relationships between PIU components and problematic alcohol use. We also examined whether these relationships differ between males and females. The sample comprised 801 Spanish adolescents (mean age=14.92, SD=1.01) who completed the measures both at Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2) six months apart. We used structural equation modeling to analyze the relationship among the variables. Results showed that deficient self-regulation at T1 predicted an increase in preference for online interactions, mood regulation, and negative consequences of the Internet at T2. In turn, the emergence of negative consequences of PIU at T1 predicted a rise in problematic alcohol use at T2. Longitudinal relationships between different components of PIU and between the components of PIU and problematic alcohol use were invariant across genders. Deficient self-regulation, consisting of diminished self-control over cognition and behaviors related to the Internet, plays a central role in the maintenance of PIU, increasing the preference for online interactions, mood regulation, and negative consequences from Internet use over time. In turn, adolescents who present negative consequences of PIU are vulnerable targets for problematic alcohol use. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychometric Properties of the Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire Short-Form and Prevalence of Problematic Online Gaming in a National Sample of Adolescents

PubMed Central

Pápay, Orsolya; Urbán, Róbert; Griffiths, Mark D.; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Farkas, Judit; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi; Felvinczi, Katalin; Oláh, Attila; Elekes, Zsuzsanna

2013-01-01

Abstract The rise and growing popularity of online games has led to the appearance of excessive gaming that in some cases can lead to physical and psychological problems. Several measures have been developed to explore the nature and the scale of the phenomenon. However, few measures have been validated psychometrically. The aim of the present study was to test the psychometric properties of the 12-item Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire Short-Form (POGQ-SF) and to assess the prevalence of problematic online gaming. Data collection was carried out to assess the prevalence of problematic online gaming in a national representative adolescent sample by using an offline (pen and pencil) method. A total of 5,045 secondary school students were assessed (51% male, mean age 16.4 years, SD=0.9 years) of which 2,804 were gamers (65.4% male, mean age 16.4 years, SD=0.9 years). Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to test the measurement model of problematic online gaming, and latent profile analysis was used to identify the proportion of gamers whose online game use can be considered problematic. Results showed that the original six-factor model yielded appropriate fit to the data, and thus the POGQ-SF has appropriate psychometric properties. Latent profile analysis revealed that 4.6% of the adolescents belong to a high risk group and an additional 13.3% to a low risk group. Due to its satisfactory psychometric characteristics, the 12-item POGQ-SF appears to be an adequate tool for the assessment of problematic online gaming. PMID:23621688

Explanations for side effect aversion in preventive medical treatment decisions

PubMed Central

Waters, Erika A.; Weinstein, Neil D.; Colditz, Graham A.; Emmons, Karen

2008-01-01

Objective Many laypeople demonstrate excessive sensitivity to negative side effects of medical treatments, which may lead them to refuse beneficial therapies. This Internet-based experiment investigated three possible explanations for such “side effect aversion.” One was derived from mental accounting, one examined the mere presence of a side effect, and one focused on computational difficulties. Design Participants (N = 5,379) were presented with a hypothetical cancer preventive treatment situation that was or was not accompanied by one or two small side effects. The side effects were either beneficial or harmful. In all conditions the net absolute risk reduction associated with the treatment was 15%. Main Outcome Measures Participants indicated their willingness to accept treatment and their perceptions of the treatment’s effects on their overall cancer risk. Results Data were consistent only with the “mere presence” explanation of side effect aversion, the idea that side effects act as a strong negative cue that directly affects treatment appraisal. The number of negative side effects did not influence treatment willingness. Conclusion Side effect aversion is a challenge to informed decision making. Specific mechanisms that produce side effect aversion should be identified. PMID:19290712

Problematic smartphone use and relations with negative affect, fear of missing out, and fear of negative and positive evaluation.

PubMed

Wolniewicz, Claire A; Tiamiyu, Mojisola F; Weeks, Justin W; Elhai, Jon D

2018-04-01

For many individuals, excessive smartphone use interferes with everyday life. In the present study, we recruited a non-clinical sample of 296 participants for a cross-sectional survey of problematic smartphone use, social and non-social smartphone use, and psychopathology-related constructs including negative affect, fear of negative and positive evaluation, and fear of missing out (FoMO). Results demonstrated that FoMO was most strongly related to both problematic smartphone use and social smartphone use relative to negative affect and fears of negative and positive evaluation, and these relations held when controlling for age and gender. Furthermore, FoMO (cross-sectionally) mediated relations between both fear of negative and positive evaluation with both problematic and social smartphone use. Theoretical implications are considered with regard to developing problematic smartphone use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Psychological Factors and Alcohol Use in Problematic Mobile Phone Use in the Spanish Population

PubMed Central

De-Sola, José; Talledo, Hernán; Rubio, Gabriel; de Fonseca, Fernando Rodríguez

2017-01-01

This research aims to study the existing relationships among the factors of state anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and alcohol consumption regarding problematic mobile phone use, as assessed by the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale. The study was conducted among 1,126 participants recruited among the general Spanish population, aged 16–65 years, by assessing the predictive value of these variables regarding this problematic use. Initially tobacco use was also considered being subsequently refused because of the low internal consistency of the scale used. In general terms, the results show that this problematic use is mainly related to state anxiety and impulsivity, through the dimensions of Positive and Negative Urgency. Considering its predictive value, multiple regression analysis reveals that state anxiety, positive and negative urgency, and alcohol consumption may predict problematic mobile phone use, ruling out the influence of depression. PMID:28217101

Is problematic mobile phone use explained by chronotype and personality?

PubMed

Demirhan, Eda; Randler, Christoph; Horzum, Mehmet Barış

2016-01-01

In this study, the relationships among problematic mobile phone use, age, gender, personality and chronotype of Turkish university students were examined. The study included 902 university students (73% female, 27% male) and their participation in the study was anonymous and voluntary. Data were collected from each participant by assessing a demographic questionnaire, Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM) as a measure of chronotype, the Big Five Inventory (BIG-5) for personality assessment and Mobile Phone Problem Usage Scale (MPPUS). The most important result was that CSM scores were the best predictor for problematic mobile phone usage, and as a consequence, evening-oriented university students scored higher on the MPPUS. This result remained, even when compared with the most influential personality predictor, conscientiousness. In addition, while extraversion positively predicted, emotional stable and chronotype negatively predicted problematic mobile phone use. Lastly, age and gender were not predictors of problematic mobile phone use.

Psychological Factors and Alcohol Use in Problematic Mobile Phone Use in the Spanish Population.

PubMed

De-Sola, José; Talledo, Hernán; Rubio, Gabriel; de Fonseca, Fernando Rodríguez

2017-01-01

This research aims to study the existing relationships among the factors of state anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and alcohol consumption regarding problematic mobile phone use, as assessed by the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale. The study was conducted among 1,126 participants recruited among the general Spanish population, aged 16-65 years, by assessing the predictive value of these variables regarding this problematic use. Initially tobacco use was also considered being subsequently refused because of the low internal consistency of the scale used. In general terms, the results show that this problematic use is mainly related to state anxiety and impulsivity, through the dimensions of Positive and Negative Urgency. Considering its predictive value, multiple regression analysis reveals that state anxiety, positive and negative urgency, and alcohol consumption may predict problematic mobile phone use, ruling out the influence of depression.

[Spanish adaptation of the "Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale" for adolescent population].

PubMed

López-Fernández, Olatz; Honrubia-Serrano, Ma Luisa; Freixa-Blanxart, Montserrat

2012-01-01

Problematic use of the mobile telephone is an emerging phenomenon in our society, and one which particularly affects the teenage population. Knowledge from research on the problematic use of this technology is necessary, since such use can give rise to a behavioural pattern with addictive characteristics. There are hardly any scales for measuring possible problematic use of mobile phones, and none at all adapted exclusively for the Spanish adolescent population. The scale most widely used internationally is the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS). The aim of the present study is to adapt the MPPUS for use with Spanish adolescents. The Spanish version of the questionnaire was administered to a sample of 1132 adolescents aged 12 to 18. Reliability and factorial validity were comparable to those obtained in adult population, so that the measure of problematic mobile phone use in Spanish teenagers is one-dimensional. A prevalence of 14.8% of problematic users was detected.

Problematic Internet Use in High School Students in Guangdong Province, China

PubMed Central

Lu, Ciyong; Wu, Jie; Deng, Xueqing; Hong, Lingyao

2011-01-01

Background Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is a growing problem in Chinese adolescents. There are many risk factors for PIU, which are found at school and at home. This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of PIU and to investigate the potential risk factors for PIU among high school students in China. Methodology/Principal Findings A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 14,296 high school students were surveyed in four cities in Guangdong province. Problematic Internet Use was assessed by the 20-item Young Internet Addiction Test (YIAT). Information was also collected on demographics, family and school-related factors and Internet usage patterns. Of the 14,296 students, 12,446 were Internet users. Of those, 12.2% (1,515) were identified as problematic Internet users (PIUs). Generalized mixed-model regression revealed that there was no gender difference between PIUs and non-PIUs. High study-related stress, having social friends, poor relations with teachers and students and conflictive family relationships were risk factors for PIU. Students who spent more time on-line were more likely to develop PIU. The habits of and purposes for Internet usage were diverse, influencing the susceptibility to PIU. Conclusions/Significance PIU is common among high school students, and risk factors are found at home and at school. Teachers and parents should pay close attention to these risk factors. Effective measures are needed to prevent the spread of this problem. PMID:21573073

A Brief Manualized Treatment for Problematic Caffeine Use: A Randomized Control Trial

PubMed Central

Evatt, Daniel P.; Juliano, Laura M.; Griffiths, Roland R.

2015-01-01

Objective The goal of the present investigation was to develop and test a brief therapist-guided manualized treatment for problematic caffeine use including cognitive-behavioral strategies and 5-weeks of progressively decreased consumption. Methods Individuals seeking treatment for problematic caffeine use (mean daily caffeine consumption of 666.0 mg at baseline) were randomized using a waitlist-control design to receive immediate (N = 33) treatment or delayed (N = 34) treatment (∼6 weeks later). A one-hour long treatment session designed to help individuals quit or reduce caffeine consumption was provided by a trained counselor along with a take-home booklet. After the treatment session, participants completed daily diaries of caffeine consumption for 5 weeks. They returned for follow-up assessments at 6, 12, and 26 weeks and had a telephone interview at 52-weeks post-treatment. Results Treatment resulted in a significant reduction in self reported caffeine use and salivary caffeine levels. No significant post-treatment increases in caffeine use were observed for up to one year follow-up. Comparisons to the waitlist control condition revealed that reductions in caffeine consumption were due to treatment and not the passing of time, with a treatment effect size of R2 = .35 for the model. Conclusions A brief one-session manualized intervention with follow-up was efficacious at reducing caffeine consumption. Future research should replicate and extend these findings, as well as consider factors affecting dissemination of treatment for problematic caffeine use to those in need. PMID:26501499

Is smartphone addiction really an addiction?

PubMed

Panova, Tayana; Carbonell, Xavier

2018-06-13

Aims In light of the rise in research on technological addictions and smartphone addiction in particular, the aim of this paper was to review the relevant literature on the topic of smartphone addiction and determine whether this disorder exists or if it does not adequately satisfy the criteria for addiction. Methods We reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies on smartphone addiction and analyzed their methods and conclusions to make a determination on the suitability of the diagnosis "addiction" to excessive and problematic smartphone use. Results Although the majority of research in the field declares that smartphones are addictive or takes the existence of smartphone addiction as granted, we did not find sufficient support from the addiction perspective to confirm the existence of smartphone addiction at this time. The behaviors observed in the research could be better labeled as problematic or maladaptive smartphone use and their consequences do not meet the severity levels of those caused by addiction. Discussion and conclusions Addiction is a disorder with severe effects on physical and psychological health. A behavior may have a similar presentation as addiction in terms of excessive use, impulse control problems, and negative consequences, but that does not mean that it should be considered an addiction. We propose moving away from the addiction framework when studying technological behaviors and using other terms such as "problematic use" to describe them. We recommend that problematic technology use is to be studied in its sociocultural context with an increased focus on its compensatory functions, motivations, and gratifications.

Problem coping skills, psychosocial adversities and mental health problems in children and adolescents as predictors of criminal outcomes in young adulthood.

PubMed

Aebi, Marcel; Giger, Joël; Plattner, Belinda; Metzke, Christa Winkler; Steinhausen, Hans-Christoph

2014-05-01

The purpose of this study was to test child and adolescent psychosocial and psychopathological risk factors as predictors of adult criminal outcomes in a Swiss community sample. In particular, the role of active and avoidant problem coping in youths was analysed. Prevalence rates of young adult crime convictions based on register data were calculated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyse the prediction of adult criminal convictions 15 years after assessment in a large Swiss community sample of children and adolescents (n = 1,086). Risk factors assessed in childhood and adolescence included socio-economic status (SES), migration background, perceived parental behaviour, familial and other social stressors, coping styles, externalizing and internalizing problems and drug abuse including problematic alcohol consumption. The rate of any young adult conviction was 10.1 %. Besides externalizing problems and problematic alcohol consumption, the presence of any criminal conviction in young adulthood was predicted by low SES and avoidant coping even after controlling for the effects of externalizing problems and problematic alcohol use. The other predictors were significant only when externalizing behaviours and problematic alcohol use were not controlled. In addition to child and adolescent externalizing behaviour problems and substance use, low SES and inadequate problem-solving skills, in terms of avoidant coping, are major risk factors of young adult criminal outcomes and need to be considered in forensic research and criminal prevention programs.

Satisfying needs through Social Networking Sites: A pathway towards problematic Internet use for socially anxious people?

PubMed

Casale, Silvia; Fioravanti, Giulia

2015-06-01

Following the theoretical frameworks of the dual-factor model of Facebook use and the Self Determination Theory, the present study hypothesizes that the satisfaction of unmet needs through Social Networking Sites (SNSs) may represent a pathway towards problematic use of Internet communicative services (GPIU) for socially anxious people. Four hundred undergraduate students (females = 51.8%; mean age = 22.45 + 2.09) completed three brief scales measuring the satisfaction via SNSs of the need to belong, the need for self-presentation and the need for assertiveness, the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale. Structural equation modeling was performed separately for males and females. A direct effect of social anxiety on GPIU was found among both genders. Socially anxious males and females tend to use SNSs for self-presentation purposes, as well as for the opportunity to be more assertive. The association between social anxiety and GPIU was partially mediated by the need for self-presentation only among males. The present results extend our understanding of the development of problematic use of Internet communicative services, based on the framework of the dual factor model of Facebook use and the Self Determination Theory. The fulfillment of an unmet need for self-presentation (i.e. the desire to create a positive impression of one's self in others) through SNSs could be one of the possible pathways to GPIU for socially anxious males.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy in depressed primary care patients with co-occurring problematic alcohol use: effect of telephone-administered vs. face-to-face treatment-a secondary analysis.

PubMed

Kalapatapu, Raj K; Ho, Joyce; Cai, Xuan; Vinogradov, Sophia; Batki, Steven L; Mohr, David C

2014-01-01

This secondary analysis of a larger study compared adherence to telephone-administered cognitive-behavioral therapy (T-CBT) vs. face-to-face CBT and depression outcomes in depressed primary care patients with co-occurring problematic alcohol use. To our knowledge, T-CBT has never been directly compared to face-to-face CBT in such a sample of primary care patients. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to face-to-face CBT or T-CBT for depression. Participants receiving T-CBT (n = 50) and face-to-face CBT (n = 53) were compared at baseline, end of treatment (week 18), and three-month and six-month follow-ups. Face-to-face CBT and T-CBT groups did not significantly differ in age, sex, ethnicity, marital status, educational level, severity of depression, antidepressant use, and total score on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Face-to-face CBT and T-CBT groups were similar on all treatment adherence outcomes and depression outcomes at all time points. T-CBT and face-to-face CBT had similar treatment adherence and efficacy for the treatment of depression in depressed primary care patients with co-occurring problematic alcohol use. When targeting patients who might have difficulties in accessing care, primary care clinicians may consider both types of CBT delivery when treating depression in patients with co-occurring problematic alcohol use.

A Systematic Review of Interventions to Reduce Problematic Substance Use Among Transgender Individuals: A Call to Action

PubMed Central

Glynn, Tiffany R.; van den Berg, Jacob J.

2017-01-01

Abstract Persons who are transgender (i.e., individuals who are assigned one sex at birth, but who do not identify with that sex) are at elevated risk for developing problematic substance use. Recent studies indicate that transgender persons have high rates of alcohol use, illicit drug use, and nonmedical use of prescription drugs and evince more severe misuse of these substances compared with nontransgender individuals. Despite the high rates of substance use among transgender persons and the multiple conceptual and narrative recommendations for substance use treatments, there is a lack of consensus or awareness of empirically tested interventions and programs effective for this population. Thus, it is critical to examine current substance use interventions for transgender individuals to identify gaps in the field and to immediately put forth efforts to reduce problematic substance use. This systematic review is the first to attempt a comprehensive identification and synthesis of the available evidence on interventions for reducing problematic substance use among transgender persons. Reflective of the state of the field regarding transgender care for substance use, we found a deficiency of studies to include in this systematic review (n=2). Perhaps the most important conclusion of this review is that well-designed, theoretically informed culturally sensitive research focused on developing and rigorously testing interventions for substance use among transgender individuals is alarmingly scarce. This review discusses barriers to intervention design and synthesizes treatment recommendations for future work. PMID:28861547

From socially prescribed perfectionism to problematic use of internet communicative services: the mediating roles of perceived social support and the fear of negative evaluation.

PubMed

Casale, Silvia; Fioravanti, Giulia; Flett, Gordon L; Hewitt, Paul L

2014-12-01

The present study developed and tested a model that explains how people who believe that others have unrealistically high standards and exert pressure on them to be perfect (that is, people high in socially prescribed perfectionism) develop a problematic use of internet communicative services (GPIU). Following the perfectionism social disconnection model and previous evidence about the role that the online environment might play in the development of problematic internet use, low reported social support and the fear of negative evaluations in face to face interactions were hypothesized to mediate the association between socially prescribed perfectionism and GPIU. A sample of 465 undergraduate students was recruited (240 F; mean age 21.91+2.23years), and the hypotheses were tested through structural equation modeling separately for men and women. Among men, the association between SPP and GPIU was fully mediated by the fear of being negatively evaluated and the perception of low social support. For women, we found a partially mediated model in which SPP affected GPIU indirectly through the fear of negative evaluations. The presence of a direct effect of SPP on GPIU was also found. Moreover, perceived social support was not found to be a significant mediator among women. The findings suggest that problematic use of internet communicative services might be, at least in part, a defensive response to extreme social evaluation pressures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maltreatment type and behaviors: does listening matter?

PubMed

Merritt, Darcey H; Snyder, Susan M

2014-12-01

This article presents an exploratory assessment of whether children's perceptions of caseworker support (e.g. feeling listened to) moderates the relationship between the type of maltreatment and problematic behaviors. Relying on data collected for the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW I), this research measures how often children felt listened to by their caseworkers and the effect on the relationship between two types of maltreatment (e.g. physical abuse and neglect) and problematic child behaviors. Results indicate that whereas children reported feeling listened to most of the time, there are significant differences in the probabilities of problematic behavior scores between physically abused and neglected children according to how often they felt listened to. With the exception of those children who felt listened to all of the time, physically abused children have a higher probability of problematic behaviors than neglected children. Comparisons between the two maltreatment types indicate a greater impact of listening on physically abused children across the continuum of feeling listened to (e.g. never to all of the time), than for neglected children, except for at the highest level of listening, as results indicate a small, but significant difference indicating neglected children are more positively impacted by listening than physically abused kids. Implications for practice are that children's perceptions of support from caseworkers may influence behavioral outcomes differently according to maltreatment type. Additionally, these findings encourage the inclusion of children's perspectives regarding the relationships they have with caseworkers. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Role of the Melanocortin System in Metabolic Disease: New Developments and Advances.

PubMed

Hill, Jennifer W; Faulkner, Latrice D

2017-01-01

Obesity is increasing in prevalence across all sectors of society, and with it a constellation of associated ailments including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and eating disorders. The melanocortin system is a critical neural system underlying the control of body weight and other functions. Deficits in the melanocortin system may promote or exacerbate the comorbidities of obesity. This system has therefore generated great interest as a potential target for treatment of obesity. However, drugs targeting melanocortin receptors are plagued by problematic side effects, including undesirable increases in sympathetic nervous system activity, heart rate, and blood pressure. Circumnavigating this roadblock will require a clearer picture of the precise neural circuits that mediate the functions of melanocortins. Recent, novel experimental approaches have significantly advanced our understanding of these pathways. We here review the latest advances in our understanding of the role of melanocortins in food intake, reward pathways, blood pressure, glucose control, and energy expenditure. The evidence suggests that downstream melanocortin-responsive circuits responsible for different physiological actions do diverge. Ultimately, a more complete understanding of melanocortin pathways and their myriad roles should allow treatments tailored to the mix of metabolic disorders in the individual patient. © 2016 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Patient satisfaction with childbirth after external cephalic version.

PubMed

Bogner, Gerhard; Hammer, Barbara Eva; Schausberger, Christiane; Fischer, Thorsten; Reisenberger, Klaus; Jacobs, Volker

2014-03-01

To assess acceptance and impact of external cephalic version (ECV) for breech presentation at term on maternal satisfaction with childbirth. Retrospective study on n = 131 women with breech presentation comparing maternal satisfaction after ECV and consecutive childbirth (n = 66; 50.4% of these successful attempts in n = 33; 50%) against the group without ECV and primary caesarean section (CS) (n = 65; 49.6%) instead using a questionnaire. Women with successful ECV tolerated side effects of the intervention better than after unsuccessful ECV (pain, tocolytics, mental and physical state, for all p < 0.001). They were not more satisfied with childbirth than women who experienced an unsuccessful ECV (p = 0.37). However, they would undergo the procedure again (p = 0.003) and would recommend it to other women (p < 0.001). Only women with spontaneous vaginal deliveries after successful version were more satisfied with childbirth than women with planned CS (p = 0.05). Women with version attempts tend to perceive childbirth as being less problematic with fewer complications (9.5 vs. 19%, p = 0.12). Unsuccessful ECVs had no negative impact on satisfaction with childbirth (p = 0.072). Attempting ECV seems to be an option for increasing the rate of vaginal births with breech presentation without negative impact on maternal satisfaction regarding consecutive childbirth.

Long alkyl-chain imidazolium ionic liquids: Antibiofilm activity against phototrophic biofilms.

PubMed

Reddy, G Kiran Kumar; Nancharaiah, Y V; Venugopalan, V P

2017-07-01

Biofilm formation is problematic and hence undesirable in medical and industrial settings. In addition to bacteria, phototrophic organisms are an integral component of biofilms that develop on surfaces immersed in natural waters. 1-Alkyl-3-methyl imidazolium ionic liquids (IL) with varying alkyl chain length were evaluated for their influence on the formation of monospecies (Navicula sp.) and multispecies biofilms under phototrophic conditions. An IL with a long alkyl side chain, 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidaazolium chloride ([C 16 (MIM)][Cl]) retarded growth, adhesion and biofilm formation of Navicula sp. at concentrations as low as 5μM. Interestingly, [C 16 (MIM)][Cl] was very effective in preventing multispecies phototrophic biofilms on fibre reinforced plastic surfaces immersed in natural waters (fresh and seawater). SYTOX ® Green staining and chlorophyll leakage assay confirmed that the biocidal activity of the IL was exerted through cell membrane disruption. The data show that [C 16 (MIM)][Cl] is a potent inhibitor of phototrophic biofilms at micromolar concentrations and a promising agent for biofilm control in re-circulating cooling water systems. This is the first report that ionic liquids inhibit biofilm formation by phototrophic organisms which are important members of biofilms in streams and cooling towers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of ultralow oxygen and vacuum treatments on bed bug (Heteroptera: Cimicidae) survival

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Control of bed bugs has always been problematic, balancing among efficacy, safety, and cost. In this study, ultralow oxygen (ULO) and vacuum treatments were tested on bed bugs to develop a safer, effective, and environmental friendly solution to bed bug infestations. ULO treatments were establishe...

Comparison of Service Effectiveness for Youth with Depressed Versus Nondepressed Caregivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Michael; Schellinger, Jeffrey; Smith, Rachel R.; Behimer, Gretchen; Hargraves, Daniel; Scherra, Karen

2017-01-01

Purpose: (1) To compare demographic, mental health, service usage, and emotional and behavioral characteristics and strengths of youth receiving care from depressed versus nondepressed caregivers and (2) to determine whether a community-based program for reducing problematic behaviors and bolstering strengths is equally effective for youth with…

Measuring Effectiveness in School Sex Education--Methodological Dilemmas in Researching an Intervention Involving Young Mothers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidger, Judi

2006-01-01

Defining and therefore evaluating the effectiveness of school sex education is problematic because of its location at the site of struggle between competing discourses. Those discourses--summarised here as "moralistic," "harm reductionist" and "empowering"--each emphasise a different conceptualisation of sex…

[Self-disclosure on the Net: A risk factor for problematic use of the Internet among insecure persons].

PubMed

Danet, M; Miljkovitch, R

2016-12-01

Problematic use of the Internet (PUI) is more and more commonly seen among psychiatry patients. PUI is defined as an excessive preoccupation about and use of the Internet, which can be characterized by more time spent on-line than what was planned, with difficulties leading to distress or significant disorders. The new mode of interaction provided by the Internet facilitates self-disclosure, especially for socially anxious persons who feel safer and more comfortable in on-line compared with face-to-face interactions. Several studies point to the fact that insecure attachment, and particularly preoccupied attachment, is associated with problematic use of the Internet. Preoccupied attachment is characterized by a negative model of self and a positive model of others. Persons with a negative model of self feel anxious in interpersonal relationships. Because self-disclosure is easier on-line, it may play a role in problematic use of the Internet. The aim of the study is to better understand the link between insecure attachment and problematic use of the Internet, by examining the mediating role of self-disclosure. Participants anonymously completed the following self-questionnaires on-line: the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), which assesses problematic use of the Internet, the Relationship Scale Questionnaire (RSQ), which evaluates attachment, and the "Real-me" questionnaire, which measures increased self-disclosure on the Internet compared with face-to-face interactions. Participants (n=200, 73 % women) were recruited via e-mails, social networks, ads in local stores and leaflets in public places, directing them towards a link in which they could complete the on-line questionnaires. Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine the main characteristics of participants. A t-test was used to explore gender differences. Main analyses consisted of correlational analyses between attachment, the "Real-me", and problematic use of the Internet. A series of regression analyses were then used to test the mediating role of the "Real-me" in the link between insecure attachment and problematic use of the Internet. Results confirm the associations between problematic use of the Internet and, respectively, preoccupied and fearful attachment. Complete mediation of the "Real-me" in the association between negative model of self (attachment) and problematic use of the Internet was also confirmed. Preoccupied and fearful attachments are both associated with problematic use of the Internet. These persons have a negative model of self which may hamper their ability to be at ease in face-to-face interactions. Being themselves on the Internet mediates the link between negative model of self and problematic use of the Internet. Resorting to a less threatening environment of exchange may thus explain these insecure individuals' tendency to overuse the Internet. Future research investigating the different activities on the Internet would be useful to better determine whether certain specific activities are more closely linked to problematic use of the Internet among insecure individuals. Copyright © 2016 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Subjective Report of Side Effects of Prescribed and Nonprescribed Psychostimulant Use in Young Adults.

PubMed

Smith, Tess E; Martel, Michelle M; DeSantis, Alan D

2017-03-21

Side effects of prescribed and nonprescribed psychostimulant use are understudied. The study examined side effects of prescribed and nonprescribed psychostimulant use in a college sample with attention to possible gender differences. 2716 undergraduates (1448 male) between the ages of 17 and 57 years (M = 19.43 years, SD = 1.7 years) completed an online survey that included questions about the subjective side effects of prescribed and nonprescribed psychostimulant use. Results suggested that prescribed users more frequently reported side effects, compared to nonprescribed users. For prescribed users, females more frequently reported appetite, somatic, and anxiety-related side effects compared to males. For nonprescribed users, while females reported more somatic and anxiety-related side effects, males more frequently reported loss of sex drive and sweating as side effects. Conclusions/Importance: These findings suggest prescribed users of psychostimulants more frequently report side effects with prominent gender differences in line with gender roles.

Sexual side effects associated with conventional and atypical antipsychotics.

PubMed

Compton, M T; Miller, A H

2001-01-01

The sexual side effects of psychotropic medications are becoming increasingly recognized in clinical psychiatry. The magnitude of the problem of sexual side effects associated with antipsychotic medications has yet to be fully elucidated, but a multitude of references in the literature demonstrate the importance of these side effects in both men and women. All currently used antipsychotic medications are associated with sexual side effects of various types. Although each antipsychotic medication may have a specific side effect profile determined by its various receptor affinities and by the degree to which it elevates serum prolactin, there is currently no evidence that specific side effects can be predicted. Sexual side effects can be categorized according to the phase of the sexual response cycle with which they interfere. Suggestions for clinical evaluation and treatment options are provided, including risk factor modification, dose reduction, switching agents, and addition of other agents. Sexual side effects associated with conventional and atypical antipsychotic medications represent an underestimated and understudied set of side effects that may diminish a patient's quality of life and lead to treatment noncompliance. Clinicians prescribing antipsychotic medications should be familiar with the classification, evaluation, and treatment of these side effects.

The Role of Executive Control and Readiness to Change in Problematic Drinkers with Mild to Borderline Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Duijvenbode, Neomi; Didden, Robert; Korzilius, Hubert P. L. M.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.

2017-01-01

Background: Problematic alcohol use is associated with neuropsychological consequences, including cognitive biases. The goal of the study was to explore the moderating role of executive control and readiness to change on the relationship between alcohol use and cognitive biases in light and problematic drinkers with and without mild to borderline…

Predictiveness of Identity Status, Main Internet Use Purposes and Gender on University Students' the Problematic Internet Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ceyhan, Esra

2010-01-01

This study aims at revealing the relationships between the problematic Internet use of university students and their identity status, main Internet use purposes, and gender. A total of 464 university students participated in the study, and the research data were collected through the Problematic Internet Use Scale, the Extended Objective Measure…

A Comparative Study of Problematic Internet Use and Loneliness among Turkish and Korean Prospective Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tutgun, Aylin; Deniz, Levent; Moon, Man-Ki

2011-01-01

The main aim of this study is to compare the problematic internet use and its relation to loneliness among two nations' prospective teachers, Turkey and South Korea. Five hundred and ninety five prospective teachers from three universities, two from Turkey and one from South Korea participated in the study. Generalized Problematic Internet Use…

Teachers' Views on Risk Factors for Problematic School Absenteeism in Swedish Primary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gren-Landell, Malin; Ekerfelt Allvin, Cornelia; Bradley, Maria; Andersson, Maria; Andersson, Gerhard

2015-01-01

In the present online survey, 158 teachers in regular and special education teaching in grades six to nine were asked to rate the importance of probable reasons for problematic school absenteeism. On average, the teachers estimated that among their students, 19 students had presented with problematic school absenteeism over the last five years.…

Assessing the Role of Gambling on Problematic Alcohol Consumption by Police Officers.

PubMed

Zavala, Egbert

2017-10-17

While a number of studies have attributed critical incident stressors to alcohol abuse among police officers, no study has examined the role gambling, if any, plays on problematic alcohol consumption. Therefore, data from the Police Stress and Domestic Violence in Police Families in Baltimore, Maryland, 1997-1999 are analyzed to test the influence of gambling on problematic alcohol consumption engaged by police officers. Results indicated that gambling is significant in predicting problematic alcohol consumption. Burnout, peer drinking, and self-control also predicted the dependent variable. The study's results, as well as the study's limitations and directions for future research, are also discussed.

Problematic gaming behaviour and health-related outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Männikkö, Niko; Ruotsalainen, Heidi; Miettunen, Jouko; Pontes, Halley M; Kääriäinen, Maria

2017-11-01

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the interplay between problematic gaming behaviour and health-related outcomes at different developmental stages. A total of 50 empirical studies met the specified inclusion criteria, and a meta-analysis using correlation coefficients was used for the studies that reported adverse health implications regarding the impact of problematic gaming behaviour on depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and somatisation. Overall, the results suggested that problematic gaming behaviour is significantly associated with a wide range of detrimental health-related outcomes. Finally, the limitations of this review alongside its implications were discussed and considered for future research.

The association between psychological well-being and problematic use of Internet communicative services among young people.

PubMed

Casale, Silvia; Lecchi, Stefano; Fioravanti, Giulia

2015-01-01

Previous studies on problematic Internet use have focused almost exclusively on the fact that presence of negative functioning, such as social anxiety, depressive symptoms, or loneliness, represents a risk factor for unhealthy use of the web. For this reason the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between psychological well-being dimensions and problematic use of Internet communicative services. In the current study 495 undergraduate students were recruited. The Italian adaptations of the Psychological Well-being Scales and the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS2) were used to assess psychological well-being dimensions and generalized problematic Internet use, respectively. Psychological well-being dimensions explained a significant portion of variance for the GPIUS2 total score levels, after controlling for sex, age, and occupational status. The levels of Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, and Positive Relations with Others acted as significant negative predictors of the tendency to use the web for regulating negative feelings, compulsive use of the web, and the negative outcomes that can arise as a result. The overall findings of the present study provide preliminary evidence that low psychological well-being is associated with problematic use of Internet communicative services.

The Intent/Effect Tactic: A Practice of Rhetorical Listening

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodgers, Meagan

2012-01-01

Recent scholarship shows that teachers across English studies continue to struggle with discussions of race in their classrooms. In this article, I offer the intent/effect tactic as a tool teachers can use to analyze and respond to racially problematic assertions. By asking students to consider not only intent but also effect, we can help them…

Environmental influence of problematic social relationships on adolescents' daily cortisol secretion: a monozygotic twin-difference study.

PubMed

Brendgen, M; Ouellet-Morin, I; Lupien, S J; Vitaro, F; Dionne, G; Boivin, M

2017-02-01

This study investigated the potential environmental effects of peer victimization and the quality of relationships with parents and friends on diurnal cortisol secretion in mid-adolescence. This study used the monozygotic (MZ) twin-difference design to control for genetic effects and thus estimate the unique environmental influences on diurnal cortisol. Participants were 136 MZ twin pairs (74 female pairs) for whom cortisol was assessed four times per day over four collection days grouped in a 2-week period in grade 8 (mean age = 14.07 years). Participants also provided self-reports of peer victimization from grade 4 to grade 8 and of the relationship quality with the mother, father and best friend in grade 8. The expected pattern of diurnal cortisol secretion was observed, with high levels at awakening followed by an increase 30 min later and a progressive decrease subsequently. Controlling for a host of confounders, only within-twin pair differences in peer victimization and a problematic relationship with the mother were significantly linked to twin differences in diurnal cortisol secretion. Specifically, whereas a more problematic mother-child relationship was associated with morning cortisol secretion, peer victimization was linked to cortisol secretion later in the day (diurnal slope). Controlling for genetic influences and other confounders, stressful relationships with peers and the mother exert unique and time-specific environmental influences on the pattern of diurnal cortisol secretion in mid-adolescence.

An alternative means of retaining ocular structure and improving immunoreactivity for light microscopy studies

PubMed Central

Sun, Ning; Shibata, Brad; Hess, John F.

2015-01-01

Purpose Several properties of ocular tissue make fixation for light microscopy problematic. Because the eye is spherical, immersion fixation necessarily results in a temporal gradient of fixation, with surfaces fixing more rapidly and thoroughly than interior structures. The problem is compounded by the fact that the layers of the eye wall are compositionally quite different, resulting in different degrees of fixation-induced shrinkage and distortion. Collectively, these result in non-uniform preservation, as well as buckling and/or retinal detachment. This gradient problem is most acute for the lens, where the density of proteins can delay fixation of the central lens for days, and where the fixation gradient parallels the age gradient of lens cells, which complicates data interpretation. Our goal was to identify a simple method for minimizing some of the problems arising from immersion fixation, which avoided covalent modification of antigens, retained high quality structure, and maintained tissue in a state that is amenable to common cytochemical techniques. Methods A simple and inexpensive derivative of the freeze-substitution approach was developed and compared to fixation by immersion in formalin. Preservation of structure, immunoreactivity, GFP and tdTomato fluorescence, lectin reactivity, outer segment auto fluorescence, Click-iT chemistry, compatibility with in situ hybdrdization, and the ability to rehydrate eyes after fixation by freeze substitution for subsequent cryo sectioning were assessed. Results An inexpensive and simple variant of the freeze substitution approach provides excellent structural preservation for light microscopy, and essentially eliminates ocular buckling, retinal detachment, and outer segment auto-fluorescence, without covalent modification of tissue antigens. The approach shows a notable improvement in preservation of immunoreactivity. TdTomato intrinsic fluorescence is also preserved, as is compatibility with in situ hybridization, lectin labeling, and the Click-iT chemistry approach to labeling the thymidine analog EdU. On the negative side, this approach dramatically reduced intrinsic GFP fluorescence. Conclusions A simple, cost-effective derivative of the freeze substitution process is described that is of particular value in the study of rodent or other small eyes, where fixation gradients, globe buckling, retinal detachment, differential shrinkage, autofluorescence, and tissue immunoreactivity have been problematic. PMID:25991907

The Relationship of Sexual Abuse with Self-Esteem, Depression, and Problematic Internet Use in Korean Adolescents

PubMed Central

Kim, Bung-Nyun; Park, Min-Hyeon

2017-01-01

The association of sexual victimization with self-esteem, depression, and problematic internet use was examined in Korean adolescents. A total of 695 middle and high school students were recruited (413 boys, 282 girls, mean age, 14.06±1.37 years). The participants were administered the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form (ETISR-SF), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT). The associations between sexual abuse and the level of self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and problematic internet use were analyzed. Adolescents who had experienced sexual abuse showed lower self-esteem, more depressive symptoms, and greater problematic internet use compared with adolescents who had not experienced sexual abuse. In the path model, sexual abuse predicted lower self-esteem (β=-0.11; 95% CI=-0.20, -0.04; p=0.009), which predicted higher depressive symptoms (β=-0.34; 95% CI=-0.40, -0.27; p=0.008). Depressive symptoms predicted problematic internet use in a positive way (β=0.23; 95% CI=0.16–0.29; p=0.013). Sexual abuse also predicted problematic internet use directly (β=0.20; 95% CI=0.12–0.27; p=0.012). The results of the present study indicate that sexually abused adolescents had a higher risk of depression and problematic internet use. For sexually abused adolescents, programs aimed at raising self-esteem and preventing internet addiction, as well as mental health screening, are needed. PMID:28539957

Genetic and environmental influences on cannabis use initiation and problematic use: a meta-analysis of twin studies

PubMed Central

Verweij, Karin J.H.; Zietsch, Brendan P.; Lynskey, Michael T.; Medland, Sarah E.; Neale, Michael C.; Martin, Nicholas G.; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Vink, Jacqueline M.

2009-01-01

Background Because cannabis use is associated with social, physical and psychological problems, it is important to know what causes some individuals to initiate cannabis use and a subset of those to become problematic users. Previous twin studies found evidence for both genetic and environmental influences on vulnerability, but due to considerable variation in the results it is difficult to draw clear conclusions regarding the relative magnitude of these influences. Method A systematic literature search identified 28 twin studies on cannabis use initiation and 24 studies on problematic cannabis use. The proportion of total variance accounted for by genes (A), shared environment (C), and unshared environment (E) in (1) initiation of cannabis use and (2) problematic cannabis use was calculated by averaging corresponding A, C, and E estimates across studies from independent cohorts and weighting by sample size. Results For cannabis use initiation, A, C, and E estimates were 48%, 25% and 27% in males and 40%, 39% and 21% in females. For problematic cannabis use A, C, and E estimates were 51%, 20% and 29% for males and 59%, 15% and 26% for females. Confidence intervals of these estimates are considerably narrower than those in the source studies. Conclusions Our results indicate that vulnerability to both cannabis use initiation and problematic use was significantly influenced by A, C, and E. There was a trend for a greater C and lesser A component for cannabis initiation as compared to problematic use for females. PMID:20402985

Problematic gaming exists and is an example of disordered gaming

PubMed Central

Griffiths, Mark D.; Kuss, Daria J.; Lopez-Fernandez, Olatz; Pontes, Halley M.

2017-01-01

Background The recent paper by Aarseth et al. (2016) questioned whether problematic gaming should be considered a new disorder particularly because “Gaming Disorder” (GD) has been identified as a disorder to be included in the next (11th) revision of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Methods This study uses contemporary literature to argue why GD should be included in the ICD-11. Results Aarseth and colleagues acknowledge that there is much literature (including papers by some of the authors themselves) that some individuals experience serious problems with video gaming. How can such an activity be seriously problematic yet not disordered? Similar to other addictions, gaming addiction is relatively rare and is in essence a syndrome (i.e., a condition or disorder characterized by a set of associated symptoms that tend to occur under specific circumstances). Consequently, not everyone will exhibit exactly the same set of symptoms and consequences, and this partly explains why those working in the problematic gaming field often disagree on symptomatology. Conclusions Research into gaming is not about pathologizing healthy entertainment, but about pathologizing excessive and problematic behaviors that cause significant psychological distress and impairment in an individual’s life. These are two related, but (ultimately) very distinct phenomena. While being aware that gaming is a pastime activity which is enjoyed non-problematically by many millions of individuals worldwide, it is concluded that problematic gaming exists and that it is an example of disordered gaming. PMID:28816501

Problematic gaming exists and is an example of disordered gaming.

PubMed

Griffiths, Mark D; Kuss, Daria J; Lopez-Fernandez, Olatz; Pontes, Halley M

2017-09-01

Background The recent paper by Aarseth et al. (2016) questioned whether problematic gaming should be considered a new disorder particularly because "Gaming Disorder" (GD) has been identified as a disorder to be included in the next (11th) revision of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Methods This study uses contemporary literature to argue why GD should be included in the ICD-11. Results Aarseth and colleagues acknowledge that there is much literature (including papers by some of the authors themselves) that some individuals experience serious problems with video gaming. How can such an activity be seriously problematic yet not disordered? Similar to other addictions, gaming addiction is relatively rare and is in essence a syndrome (i.e., a condition or disorder characterized by a set of associated symptoms that tend to occur under specific circumstances). Consequently, not everyone will exhibit exactly the same set of symptoms and consequences, and this partly explains why those working in the problematic gaming field often disagree on symptomatology. Conclusions Research into gaming is not about pathologizing healthy entertainment, but about pathologizing excessive and problematic behaviors that cause significant psychological distress and impairment in an individual's life. These are two related, but (ultimately) very distinct phenomena. While being aware that gaming is a pastime activity which is enjoyed non-problematically by many millions of individuals worldwide, it is concluded that problematic gaming exists and that it is an example of disordered gaming.

The Relationship of Sexual Abuse with Self-Esteem, Depression, and Problematic Internet Use in Korean Adolescents.

PubMed

Kim, Bung-Nyun; Park, Subin; Park, Min-Hyeon

2017-05-01

The association of sexual victimization with self-esteem, depression, and problematic internet use was examined in Korean adolescents. A total of 695 middle and high school students were recruited (413 boys, 282 girls, mean age, 14.06±1.37 years). The participants were administered the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form (ETISR-SF), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT). The associations between sexual abuse and the level of self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and problematic internet use were analyzed. Adolescents who had experienced sexual abuse showed lower self-esteem, more depressive symptoms, and greater problematic internet use compared with adolescents who had not experienced sexual abuse. In the path model, sexual abuse predicted lower self-esteem (β=-0.11; 95% CI=-0.20, -0.04; p=0.009), which predicted higher depressive symptoms (β=-0.34; 95% CI=-0.40, -0.27; p=0.008). Depressive symptoms predicted problematic internet use in a positive way (β=0.23; 95% CI=0.16-0.29; p=0.013). Sexual abuse also predicted problematic internet use directly (β=0.20; 95% CI=0.12-0.27; p=0.012). The results of the present study indicate that sexually abused adolescents had a higher risk of depression and problematic internet use. For sexually abused adolescents, programs aimed at raising self-esteem and preventing internet addiction, as well as mental health screening, are needed.

Nondestructive Evaluation of Steel Bridges: Methods and Applications

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-12-01

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods can be used to assess in-service steel bridges for problematic conditions caused by factors such as design, manufacturing, fabrication, and the service effects of traffic and corrosion. This report discusses ty...

Gastrointestinal Side Effects of Antiarrhythmic Medications: A Review of Current Literature.

PubMed

Amjad, Waseem; Qureshi, Waqas; Farooq, Ali; Sohail, Umair; Khatoon, Salma; Pervaiz, Sarah; Narra, Pratyusha; Hasan, Syeda M; Ali, Farman; Ullah, Aman; Guttmann, Steven

2017-09-03

Antiarrhythmic drugs are commonly prescribed cardiac drugs. Due to their receptor mimicry with several of the gastrointestinal tract receptors, they can frequently lead to gastrointestinal side effects. These side effects are the most common reasons for discontinuation of these drugs by the patients. Knowledge of these side effects is important for clinicians that manage antiarrhythmic drugs. This review focuses on the gastrointestinal side effects of these drugs and provides a detailed up-to-date literature review of the side effects of these drugs. The review provides case reports reported in the literature as well as possible mechanisms that lead to gastrointestinal side effects.

Fatherhood, smoking, and secondhand smoke in North America: an historical analysis with a view to contemporary practice.

PubMed

White, Cameron; Oliffe, John L; Bottorff, Joan L

2012-03-01

In the context of concerns about the effects of secondhand smoke on fetal health and the health of children, North American health promotion interventions have focused on reducing tobacco consumption among women to a greater extent than men. This is problematic when the health effects of men's secondhand smoke in family environments are considered. This article examines this gendered phenomenon in terms of a history of cigarette consumption that positions smoking as masculine. Furthermore, it demonstrates the value of addressing men's smoking using a gendered methodology, with an emphasis on fatherhood as an expression of masculine identity. Garnering health promotion programs to promote a culture of masculinity that is less individualistic, and defined in terms of responsibility and care for others, in addition to the self, has the potential to render men's smoking problematic and challenge the historic linkages between smoking and masculinity.

Temperament Dispositions, Problematic Eating Behaviours and Overweight in Adolescents.

PubMed

Walther, Mireille; Hilbert, Anja

2016-01-01

Obesity, a common health condition in adolescence leading to severe medical complications, is assumed to be influenced by temperament factors. This paper investigates associations between reactive and regulative temperament, problematic eating behaviours and excess weight. Several self-report instruments were completed by 130 adolescents (mean age 14.13 ± 0.61 years), including 27 overweight and obese individuals (20.8%). Bootstrap analysis revealed a mediating effect of restrained eating on the relation between reactive temperament and body mass index percentile, which differed according to gender: Restrained eating, which predicted weight gain, was more present in girls having a higher sensitivity to reward and in boys showing a higher sensitivity to punishment. No effect of regulative temperament was found. These results have important implications for weight management programmes, as they suggest that reducing restrained eating by working on temperament may help to control weight. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Problematic internet users' skin conductance and anxiety increase after exposure to the internet.

PubMed

Romano, Michela; Roaro, Alessandra; Re, Federica; Osborne, Lisa A; Truzoli, Roberto; Reed, Phil

2017-12-01

To examine the impact of cessation of an internet session on skin conductance responses and anxiety of higher and lower problem internet users, in order to explore possible physiological withdrawal effects. Participants were measured in terms of their skin conductance before (15min), during (15min), and after (15min) an internet session, and completed self-report measures of state anxiety and problematic internet use. Higher, but not lower, problem users showed increased skin conductance after internet use was stopped, relative to before their internet session. Higher problem users' GSR scores increased, as the time from internet cessation became longer. Higher problem users also showed increased levels of anxiety, following their internet session, which correlated with their skin conductance scores. These results suggest that, following termination of an internet session, withdrawal-like effects are seen, both psychologically and physiologically. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Memory for Medication Side Effects in Younger and Older Adults: The Role of Subjective and Objective Importance

PubMed Central

Friedman, Michael C.; McGillivray, Shannon; Murayama, Kou; Castel, Alan D.

2014-01-01

Older adults often experience memory impairments, but can sometimes use selective processing and schematic support to remember important information. The current experiments investigate to what degree younger and healthy older adults remember medication side effects that were subjectively or objectively important to remember. Participants studied a list of common side effects, and rated how negative these effects were if they were to experience them, and were then given a free recall test. In Experiment 1, the severity of the side effects ranged from mild (e.g., itching) to severe (e.g., stroke), and in Experiment 2, certain side effects were indicated as critical to remember (i.e., “contact your doctor if you experience this”). There were no age differences in terms of free recall of the side effects, and older adults remembered more severe side effects relative to mild effects. However, older adults were less likely to recognize critical side effects on a later recognition test, relative to younger adults. The findings suggest that older adults can selectively remember medication side effects, but have difficulty identifying familiar but potentially critical side effects, and this has implications for monitoring medication use in older age. PMID:25331278

[Atypical antipsychotics and sexual dysfunction: five case-reports associated with risperidone].

PubMed

Haefliger, T; Bonsack, C

2006-01-01

Sexual and reproductive function side effects of atypical antipsychotics are frequent, often underestimated and badly tolerated. They contribute to the 50% rate of non-compliance reported for treated patients. Prevalence of sexual dysfunction associated with atypical antipsychotic treatment is high, varying from 18 to 96%. Atypical antipsychotics aren't, as a group, much better than typical antipsychotics, and among them, risperidone seems to induce more and quetiapine less sexual dysfunction. Most atypicals are non-selective, and have actions on multiple central and peripheral receptors. Among these, dopaminergic blockade could have a direct - altering motivation (desire) and reward (orgasm) - and an indirect negative influence on sexuality. Actually, the secondary hyperprolactinemia induced by some antipsychotics (typical antipsychotics, risperidone and amisulpiride), is dose-dependent, more pronounced for female patients, and may have a detrimental effect on sexual function. It also may result in hypogonadism, particularly for female patients. The long-term consequences of this secondary hypogonadism are subject to debate but potentially severe. Furthermore, the blocking and/or modulating actions of atypical antipsychotics on adrenaline, serotonine, histamine or acetyl-choline receptors all have the potential to contribute to secondary sexual problems. The pharmacological profile of risperidone, characterized by a strong affinity for D2 and alpha1 receptors, correlates with his tendency to significantly elevate prolactin levels and to produce ejaculatory disturbances. FIVE CASE-REPORTS: We describe five case-reports of sexual or hormonal disturbances associated with risperidone treatment: two cases of ejaculatory disturbance, one case of galactorrhea and two cases of amenorrhea. Alberto and David are two young male schizophrenic patients, treated with risperidone, and complaining of a total absence of ejaculation despite a preserved orgasm. Many recent case-reports describe the occurrence of retrograde ejaculation associated with risperidone but the exact prevalence is unknown. Retrograde ejaculation is thought to be related to the strong adrenolytic activity of risperidone. Alberto refused his medication because the ejaculatory dysfunction was unbearable for him. A switch to haloperidol depot was eventually well tolerated, without any sexual complaints. His case emphasizes the importance of sexual function for self-esteem and how this may amplify the intolerance to side-effects. David is on depot-risperidone in a setting of a legally forced treatment. Though he - reluctantly - accepts his medication, this side effect exacerbates his pre-existing delusions, strongly focused on sexual themes. His case illustrates how intolerance to sexual side-effects may be amplified by nature of delusions. Mireille is a 58 year old psychotic female patient, whose 2 mg risperidone treatment produced a unilateral galactorrhea. This sign became problematic because potentially visible at a time when Mireille started an activity in a sheltered occupation in town. Lowering dosage of antipsychotic allowed disappearance of the problem. Subjective responses to galactorrhea have been reported to be highly individual. Apart being a potentially visible side-effect, it may be misinterpreted as evidence of pregnancy or of a tumoral process. The cases of Ermina and Denise illustrate two contrasted situations in terms of subjective tolerability of reproductive function side-effects. Both were pre-menopausal patients with hyperprolactinemia secondary to risperidone treatment, resulting in amenorrhea. This was unbearable for Ermina. A switch to olanzapine allowed, one month later, the menses to resume. For Denise, on the other hand, the amenorrhea was a positive event, freeing her of unpleasant menses. Amenorrhea occurs in about 30% of pre-menopausal women treated with risperidone. It is a consequence of hyperprolactinemia, which, although often silent, is not devoid of potential negative consequences (ie increased risk of osteoporosis or neoplasia, worsening of psychopathology) (34). When hyperprolactinemia is symptomatic, lowering of the dose of the antipsychotic, or switching to a prolactin-sparing agent (olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole and clozapine) is recommended. Before this, women with amenorrhea secondary to antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia should be advised that menses may resume. Especially after long-standing amenorrhea they may assume being menopaused, hence may believe birth control measures are no longer required. The prevalence of antipsychotic-induced sexual and reproductive function side-effects is high. Clinicians should be aware of them, because they are often badly tolerated, are associated with a low satisfaction and may therefore result in low adherence with treatment. This implies for the clinician to overtly discuss with the patient of his sexuality and the potential negative impact of antipsychotic treatment on it. The recognition of these problems allows the searching together for a solution. The described cases indicate that solving the problem is often possible, provided that individual preferences and subjective impact are taken in account. Antipsychotic treatment is often prescribed for very long periods. A better knowledge of - and attention to - the associated side effects, particularly on the sexual and reproductive functions, is necessary in order to reduce some potentially negative long-term effects and to improve the adherence to treatment of our patients.

Symptoms of Problematic Cellular Phone Use, Functional Impairment and Its Association with Depression among Adolescents in Southern Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yen, Cheng-Fang; Tang, Tze-Chun; Yen, Ju-Yu; Lin, Huang-Chi; Huang, Chi-Fen; Liu, Shu-Chun; Ko, Chih-Hung

2009-01-01

The aims of this study were: (1) to examine the prevalence of symptoms of problematic cellular phone use (CPU); (2) to examine the associations between the symptoms of problematic CPU, functional impairment caused by CPU and the characteristics of CPU; (3) to establish the optimal cut-off point of the number of symptoms for functional impairment…

Low mortality but increasing incidence of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis in people who inject drugs

PubMed Central

Asgeirsson, Hilmir; Thalme, Anders; Weiland, Ola

2016-01-01

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of infective endocarditis in people who inject drugs (PWID). The management of S aureus endocarditis (SAE) in PWID can be problematic. The objective of this retrospective observational study was to assess the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and mortality of S aureus endocarditis (SAE) in PWID in Stockholm, Sweden. The Department of Infectious Diseases at the Karolinska University Hospital serves as a regional referral center for drug users with severe infections. Patients with active intravenous drug use treated for SAE at the department between January 2004 and December 2013 were retrospectively identified. Clinical and microbiological data were obtained from medical records and the diagnosis verified according to the modified Duke criteria. In total, 120 SAE episodes related to intravenous drug use were identified. Its incidence in Stockholm was 0.76/100,000 adult person-years for the entire period, increasing from 0.52/100,000 person-years in 2004 to 2008 to 0.99 in 2009 to 2013 (P = 0.02). The SAE incidence among PWID specifically was 249 (range 153–649) /100,000 person-years. Forty-two (35%) episodes were left-sided, and multiple valves were involved in 26 (22%). Cardiac valve surgery was performed in 10 (8%) episodes, all left-sided. The in-hospital and 1-year mortality rates were 2.5% (3 deaths) and 8.0% (9 deaths), respectively. We noted a high and increasing incidence over time of SAE related to intravenous drug use in Stockholm. The increased incidence partly reflects a rising number of PWID during the study period. The low mortality noted, despite a substantial proportion with left-sided endocarditis, probably in part reflects the quality of care obtained at a large and specialized referral center for drug users with severe infections. PMID:27930590

Spontaneous rotation of the monorail-type guide extension support catheter during advancement of a curved guiding catheter: the potential hazard of twisting with the coronary guidewire.

PubMed

Hashimoto, Sho; Takahashi, Akihiko; Yamada, Takeshi; Mizuguchi, Yukio; Taniguchi, Norimasa; Hata, Tetsuya; Nakajima, Shunsuke

2017-11-20

The extension support guiding catheter has been used to perform complex percutaneous coronary intervention to increase back-up support for the guiding catheter or to ensure deep intubation for device delivery. However, because of its monorail design, advancement of the stent into the distal extension tubing segment is sometimes problematic. Although this problem is considered due to simple collision of the stent, operators have observed tangling between a monorail extension catheter and coronary guidewire in some patients. To examine movement of the collar of the extension guide catheter during advancement of the guiding catheter, we set up an in vitro model in which the guiding catheter had two curves. Rotation of the extension guide catheter was examined by both fluoroscopic imaging and movement of the hub of the proximal end of the catheter. During advancement in the first curve, the collar moved toward the outer side of the curve of the guiding catheter as the operator pushed the shaft of the extension guiding catheter, which overrode the guidewire. After crossing the first curve, the collar moved again to the outer side of the second curve (the inner side of the first curve) of the mother catheter, and then, another clockwise rotation was observed in the proximal hub. Consequently, the collar and tubing portion of the extension guide catheter rotated 360° around the coronary guidewire, and the monorail extension catheter and guidewire became tangled. There is a potential risk of unintentional twisting with the guidewire during advancement into the curved guiding catheter because of its monorail design.

“So far it’s been choosing which side effects I want or I can deal with”: A grounded theory of HIV treatment side effects among people living with HIV

PubMed Central

Holmes, Dave

2016-01-01

Despite the availability of new antiretroviral drugs and the simplification of treatment options, side effects continue to affect people living with HIV. In this paper, we present the findings of a grounded theory study designed to gain a critical understanding of the experience of side effects. Three main categories emerged from the data: the side effects, the experience, and the connections. The first category suggests that we need to change how we think about side effects in order to take into account the context in which they are experienced as well as the types and nature of side effects. The second category puts forward the idea that the experience of side effects is composed of three interrelated processes: becoming with, living with, and dealing with. Finally, the third category points to new connections that are formed with people, things and systems in the presence of side effects. PMID:27867446

Relation between therapeutic response and side effects induced by methylphenidate as observed by parents and teachers of children with ADHD.

PubMed

Lee, James; Grizenko, Natalie; Bhat, Venkataramana; Sengupta, Sarojini; Polotskaia, Anna; Joober, Ridha

2011-04-21

The desired (therapeutic) and undesired (side) effects of methylphenidate might have underlying correlations. The aim of this study was to explore the strength and the possible sources of these correlations. One hundred and fifty-seven children with ADHD (6-12 years) were administered placebo and methylphenidate (0.5 mg/kg in a divided b.i.d. dose), each for a one-week period, in a double-blind, crossover trial. Therapeutic response was assessed using the Conners' Global Index for parents (CGI-Parents) and teachers (CGI-Teachers), while side effects were assessed using the Barkley Side Effects Rating Scale (SERS). The side effect profile as assessed by the SERS was similar to that of previous studies with insomnia, decreased appetite, and headaches showing significant treatment effects (p < 0.005). These "somatic/physical" side effects did not correlate with CGI-Parents or CGI-Teachers. However, the side effects of "irritability", "proneness to crying", and "anxiousness" showed significant relationships with CGI-Parents. These "mood/anxiety" side effects showed no significant correlations with the CGI-Teachers. The greater "mood/anxiety" side effects on methylphenidate and placebo, the less the parents observe improvement of their children while treated with methylphenidate. This suggests that the correlations between "mood/anxiety" side effects and poor response to treatment may be driven by observer effects rather than biological commonalities between therapeutic and side effects of methylphenidate.

Side Effects

Cancer.gov

Side effects are problems that occur when cancer treatment affects healthy tissues or organs. Learn about side effects caused by cancer treatment. Know what signs and symptoms to call your doctor about. Learn about treatments for side effects.

Aspartic protease inhibitors as potential anti-Candida albicans drugs: impacts on fungal biology, virulence and pathogenesis.

PubMed

Braga-Silva, L A; Santos, A L S

2011-01-01

Mycoses are still one of the most problematic illnesses worldwide, especially affecting immunocompromised individuals. The development of novel antifungal drugs is becoming more demanding every day, since existing drugs either have too many side effects or they tend to lose effectiveness due to the resistant fungal strains. In this scenario, Candida albicans is still the main fungal pathogen isolated in hospitals. Pathogenicity results essentially from modifications of the host defense mechanisms that secondarily initiate transformations in the fungal behavior. The pathogenesis of C. albicans is multifactorial and different virulence attributes are important during the various stages of infection. Some virulence factors, like the secreted aspartic proteases (Saps), play a role in several infection stages and the inhibition of one of the many stages may contribute to the containment of the pathogen and thus should help in the treatment of disease. Therefore, Saps are potential targets for the development of novel anti-C. albicans drugs. Herein, we review the beneficial properties of pepstatin A and aspartic-type protease inhibitors used in the anti-human immunodeficiency virus chemotherapy on C. albicans, with particular emphasis in the effects on Sap activity, proliferation, morphogenesis (yeasts into mycelia transformation), ultrastructural architecture, adhesion to mammalian cells and abiotic materials, modulation of unrelated virulence factors (e.g., surface glycoconjugates, lipases and sterol), experimental candidiasis infection as well as synergistic properties when conjugated with classical antifungals. Collectively, these positive findings have stimulated the search for novel natural and/or synthetic pharmacological compounds with anti-aspartic protease properties against the human opportunistic fungus C. albicans.

Combined 595-nm and 1,064-nm laser irradiation of recalcitrant and hypertrophic port-wine stains in children and adults.

PubMed

Alster, Tina S; Tanzi, Elizabeth L

2009-06-01

Although pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment of port-wine stain (PWS) has long been proven safe and effective, incomplete clearance of these vascular malformations can be problematic. In addition, advanced PWS with deeper coloration and tissue hypertrophy can be particularly difficult to treat because of the superficial dermal penetration of 585- to 595-nm light. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel device that delivers sequential pulses of 595- and 1,064-nm wavelengths in the treatment of recalcitrant and hypertrophic PWS. Twenty-five children and adults (skin phototypes I-III) with recalcitrant or hypertrophic PWS showing incomplete clearance after 10 prior PDL treatments were included in the study. Successive treatments using a 595-nm PDL and a 1,064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser were delivered at 6- to 8-week intervals. Two masked assessors determined clinical improvement of treatment areas using independent evaluation of comparative photographs at baseline and 3 months after treatment using a standard quartile grading scale. The use of dual 595-/1,064-nm wavelengths provided continued improvement of PWS that were previously recalcitrant to ongoing PDL therapy. Side effects were limited to transient erythema, edema, and mild purpura. Rare vesicle formation was observed, with no subsequent scarring or undesirable pigmentary changes. The novel dual 595-nm PDL and 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser is an effective treatment for PWS that are recalcitrant to PDL therapy alone.

Diagnosing and treating depression in epilepsy.

PubMed

Elger, Christian E; Johnston, Samantha A; Hoppe, Christian

2017-01-01

At least one third of patients with active epilepsy suffer from significant impairment of their emotional well-being. A targeted examination for possible depression (irrespective of any social, financial or personal burdens) can identify patients who may benefit from medical attention and therapeutic support. Reliable screening instruments such as the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) are suitable for the timely identification of patients needing help. Neurologists should be capable of managing mild to moderate comorbid depression but referral to mental health specialists is mandatory in severe and difficult-to-treat depression, or if the patient is acutely suicidal. In terms of the therapeutic approach, it is essential first to optimize seizure control and minimize unwanted antiepileptic drug-related side effects. Psychotherapy for depression in epilepsy (including online self-treatment programs) is underutilized although it has proven effective in ten well-controlled trials. In contrast, the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs for depression in epilepsy is unknown. However, if modern antidepressants are used (e.g. SSRI, SNRI, NaSSA), concerns about an aggravation of seizures and or problematic interactions with antiepileptic drugs seem unwarranted. Epilepsy-related stress ("burden of epilepsy") explains depression in many patients but acute and temporary seizure-related states of depression or suicidality have also been reported. Limbic encephalitits may cause isolated mood alteration without any recognizable psychoetiological background indicating a possible role of neuroinflammation. This review will argue that, overall, a bio-psycho-social model best captures the currently available evidence relating to the etiology and treatment of depression as a comorbidity of epilepsy. Copyright © 2016 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of a parental guide for prevention of problematic video gaming in children: A public health randomized controlled intervention study.

PubMed

Krossbakken, Elfrid; Torsheim, Torbjørn; Mentzoni, Rune Aune; King, Daniel Luke; Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Lorvik, Ingjerd Meen; Pallesen, Ståle

2018-03-01

Background and aims Excessive use of video games among children and adolescents is a growing concern. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief parental guide with advices and strategies for regulating video gaming in children. Methods A random sample of guardians of children between the age of 8-12 years old (N = 5,864) was drawn from the Norwegian Population Registry and equally randomized into an intervention and a control condition. A parental guide based on clinical and research literature was distributed by postal mail to those in the intervention condition. A 4-month follow-up survey comprising questions about problematic video gaming, gaming behavior, sleep activity, and parental video game regulation behavior was administered. Results Independent t-tests revealed no significant differences between the two conditions (N = 1,657, response rate 30.1%) on any outcome measure. An ANOVA with planned comparisons showed that respondents who reported that they had read and followed the parental guide reported more video game problems and used more parental mediation strategies than those who did not read and follow the guide. Conclusions We found no evidence for the effectiveness of the psychoeducational parental guide on preventing problematic video gaming in children. However, the guide was read and positively assessed by a significant proportion of guardians. Differences between those who studied the guide and those who did not may indicate that parental guides are better aimed at providing important information to those who already have problems rather than as a mean of primary prevention.

Treatment of Partial Rotator Cuff Tear with Ultrasound-guided Platelet-rich Plasma

PubMed Central

Sengodan, Vetrivel Chezian; Kurian, Sajith; Ramasamy, Raghupathy

2017-01-01

Background: The treatment of symptomatic partial rotator cuff tear has presented substantial challenge to orthopaedic surgeons as it can vary from conservative to surgical repair. Researches have established the influence of platelet rich plasma in healing damaged tissue. Currently very few data are available regarding the evidence of clinical and radiological outcome of partial rotator cuff tear treated with ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma injection in English literature. Materials and Methods: 20 patients with symptomatic partial rotator cuff tears were treated with ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma injection. Before and after the injection of platelet rich plasma scoring was done with visual analogue score, Constant shoulder score, and UCLA shoulder score at 8 weeks and third month. A review ultrasound was performed 8 weeks after platelet rich plasma injection to assess the rotator cuff status. Results: Our study showed statistically significant improvements in 17 patients in VAS pain score, constant shoulder score and UCLA shoulder score. No significant changes in ROM were noted when matched to the contra-lateral side (P < 0.001) at the 3 month follow-up. The study also showed good healing on radiological evaluation with ultrasonogram 8 weeks after platelet rich plasma injection. Conclusion: Ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma injection for partial rotator cuff tears is an effective procedure that leads to significant decrease in pain, improvement in shoulder functions, much cost-effective and less problematic compared to a surgical treatment. PMID:28900553

Investigation of Risk Factors Affecting Lactate Levels in Japanese Patients Treated with Metformin.

PubMed

Yokoyama, Shota; Tsuji, Hideyuki; Hiraoka, Sachiko; Nishihara, Masayuki

2016-01-01

Metformin is a biguanaide antidiabetic drug used worldwide, and its effectiveness and benefits have already been established. However, the safety of high doses of metformin in Japanese patients, especially in elderly patients with a decreased renal function, remains unclear. Among the side effects of metformin, lactate acidosis is the most problematic due to a high mortality rate. Therefore, we assessed plasma lactate levels in metformin-treated patients to identify independent risk factors for hyperlactemia. 290 outpatients receiving various doses of metformin at our hospital were enrolled between March and July 2014. Serum electrolytes, Cre (creatinine), BUN (blood urea nitrogen), UA (uric acid), HbA1c (hemoglobin A1c), and lactate levels were investigated. Lactate levels did not significantly differ between the elderly (≥75 years) and non-elderly (<75 years) groups. Patients in the elderly group had a significantly lower daily metformin dose and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), compared with the non-elderly group (both p<0.005). Between with and without hyperlactemia groups, no significant differences were observed in either Cre or age. On the other hand, patients with hyperlactemia had a significantly higher dose of metformin than those without hyperlactemia (p<0.05). In this study, we found that old age and mildly impaired kidney function were not associated with increased lactate levels, and that a higher dose of metformin may be an independent risk factor for elevated lactate levels in Japanese patients.

Building School District Capacity to Conduct Functional Behavioral Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strickland-Cohen, M. Kathleen; Kennedy, Patrick C.; Berg, Tricia A.; Bateman, Lisa J.; Horner, Robert H.

2016-01-01

For decades, research has shown that function-based support is effective in reducing the frequency and severity of problematic student behaviors. One way for schools and districts to implement these supports effectively is by building local capacity to intervene with function-based interventions at the first signs of persistent problem behavior…

Coping with Memory Effect and Serial Correlation when Estimating Reliability in a Longitudinal Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laenen, Annouschka; Alonso, Ariel; Molenberghs, Geert; Vangeneugden, Tony; Mallinckrodt, Craig H.

2010-01-01

Longitudinal studies are permeating clinical trials in psychiatry. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to study the psychometric properties of rating scales, frequently used in these trials, within a longitudinal framework. However, intrasubject serial correlation and memory effects are problematic issues often encountered in longitudinal data.…

Differential Effects of the Mystery Motivator Intervention Using Student-Selected and Mystery Rewards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robichaux, Natalie M.; Gresham, Frank M.

2014-01-01

Class-wide interventions such as the Mystery Motivator are an easy and effective way to remediate problematic behavior in the classroom and increase the level of classroom management. Multiple procedural variations to the Mystery Motivator intervention have successfully changed student behavior, but a systematic comparison of two procedural…

Assessing the Effectiveness of a Computer Simulation for Teaching Ecological Experimental Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stafford, Richard; Goodenough, Anne E.; Davies, Mark S.

2010-01-01

Designing manipulative ecological experiments is a complex and time-consuming process that is problematic to teach in traditional undergraduate classes. This study investigates the effectiveness of using a computer simulation--the Virtual Rocky Shore (VRS)--to facilitate rapid, student-centred learning of experimental design. We gave a series of…

Problematic video game play in a college sample and its relationship to time management skills and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptomology.

PubMed

Tolchinsky, Anatol; Jefferson, Stephen D

2011-09-01

Although numerous benefits have been uncovered related to moderate video game play, research suggests that problematic video game playing behaviors can cause problems in the lives of some video game players. To further our understanding of this phenomenon, we investigated how problematic video game playing symptoms are related to an assortment of variables, including time management skills and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Additionally, we tested several simple mediation/moderation models to better explain previous theories that posit simple correlations between these variables. As expected, the results from the present study indicated that time management skills appeared to mediate the relationship between ADHD symptoms and problematic play endorsement (though only for men). Unexpectedly, we found that ADHD symptoms appeared to mediate the relation between time management skills and problematic play behaviors; however, this was only found for women in our sample. Finally, future implications are discussed.

Problematic Smartphone Use: Investigating Contemporary Experiences Using a Convergent Design

PubMed Central

Harkin, Lydia

2018-01-01

Internet-enabled smartphones are increasingly ubiquitous in the Western world. Research suggests a number of problems can result from mobile phone overuse, including dependence, dangerous and prohibited use. For over a decade, this has been measured by the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPU-Q). Given the rapid developments in mobile technologies, changes of use patterns and possible problematic and addictive use, the aim of the present study was to investigate and validate an updated contemporary version of the PMPU-Q (PMPU-Q-R). A mixed methods convergent design was employed, including a psychometric survey (N = 512) alongside qualitative focus groups (N = 21), to elicit experiences and perceptions of problematic smartphone use. The results suggest the PMPU-Q-R factor structure can be updated to include smartphone dependence, dangerous driving, and antisocial smartphone use factors. Theories of problematic mobile phone use require consideration of the ubiquity and indispensability of smartphones in the present day and age, particularly regarding use whilst driving and in social interactions. PMID:29337883

Problematic Smartphone Use: Investigating Contemporary Experiences Using a Convergent Design.

PubMed

Kuss, Daria J; Harkin, Lydia; Kanjo, Eiman; Billieux, Joel

2018-01-16

Internet-enabled smartphones are increasingly ubiquitous in the Western world. Research suggests a number of problems can result from mobile phone overuse, including dependence, dangerous and prohibited use. For over a decade, this has been measured by the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPU-Q). Given the rapid developments in mobile technologies, changes of use patterns and possible problematic and addictive use, the aim of the present study was to investigate and validate an updated contemporary version of the PMPU-Q (PMPU-Q-R). A mixed methods convergent design was employed, including a psychometric survey ( N = 512) alongside qualitative focus groups ( N = 21), to elicit experiences and perceptions of problematic smartphone use. The results suggest the PMPU-Q-R factor structure can be updated to include smartphone dependence, dangerous driving, and antisocial smartphone use factors. Theories of problematic mobile phone use require consideration of the ubiquity and indispensability of smartphones in the present day and age, particularly regarding use whilst driving and in social interactions.

Factorial validity of the Problematic Facebook Use Scale for adolescents and young adults

PubMed Central

Marino, Claudia; Vieno, Alessio; Altoè, Gianmarco; Spada, Marcantonio M.

2017-01-01

Background and aims Recent research on problematic Facebook use has highlighted the need to develop a specific theory-driven measure to assess this potential behavioral addiction. The aim of the present study was to examine the factorial validity of the Problematic Facebook Use Scale (PFUS) adapted from Caplan’s Generalized Problematic Internet Scale model. Methods A total of 1,460 Italian adolescents and young adults (aged 14–29 years) participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analyses were performed in order to assess the factorial validity of the scale. Results Results revealed that the factor structure of the PFUS provided a good fit to the data. Furthermore, results of the multiple group analyses supported the invariance of the model across age and gender groups. Discussion and conclusions This study provides evidence supporting the factorial validity of the PFUS. This new scale provides a theory-driven tool to assess problematic use of Facebook among male and female adolescents and young adults. PMID:28198639

The prevalence of problematic video gamers in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Haagsma, Maria C; Pieterse, Marcel E; Peters, Oscar

2012-03-01

This study surveyed Dutch adolescents and adults about their video gaming behavior to assess the prevalence of problematic gaming. A representative national panel of 902 respondents aged 14 to 81 took part in the study. The results show that gaming in general is a wide-spread and popular activity among the Dutch population. Browser games (small games played via the internet) and offline casual games (e.g., offline card games) were reported as most popular type of game. Online games (e.g., massively multiplayer online role-playing games) are played by a relatively small part of the respondents, yet considerably more time is spent on these online games than on browser games, offline casual games, and offline games (e.g., offline racing games). The prevalence of problematic gaming in the total sample is 1.3 percent. Among adolescents and young adults problematic gaming occurs in 3.3 percent of cases. Particularly male adolescents seem to be more vulnerable to developing problematic gaming habits.

Problematic Internet use and physical health.

PubMed

Kelley, Kevin J; Gruber, Elon M

2013-06-01

Background and aims A considerable body of literature has emerged over the past two decades assessing the relationship between problematic or addictive use of the Internet and various indices of psychological well-being. Conversely, comparatively little research has assessed the relationship between problematic or addictive use of the Internet and one's physical health. Method The current study assesses this relationship using a sample of college students (N = 133) who responded online to two questionnaires: the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ; Demetrovics, Szeredi&Rózsa, 2008) and the SF-36v2 Health Survey (Ware et al., 2008). Results The findings indicate that problematic Internet use is associated with poorer physical health. These results are consistent with other data that assessed the relationship between these two variables. Furthermore, this relationship supersedes the influence of the number of hours spent online per day. Conclusions The findings are discussed in terms of the limitations of the study design and conclusions that can be drawn from this preliminary empirical effort.

Too many swipes for today: The development of the Problematic Tinder Use Scale (PTUS)

PubMed Central

Orosz, Gábor; Tóth-Király, István; Bőthe, Beáta; Melher, Dóra

2016-01-01

Background and aims Tinder is a very popular smartphone-based geolocated dating application. The goal of the present study was creating a short Problematic Tinder Use Scale (PTUS). Methods Griffiths’ (2005) six-component model was implemented for covering all components of problematic Tinder use. Confirmatory factor analyses were carried out on a Tinder user sample (N = 430). Results Both the 12- and the 6-item versions were tested. The 6-item unidimensional structure has appropriate reliability and factor structure. No salient demography-related differences were found. Users irrespectively to their relationship status have similar scores on PTUS. Discussion Tinder users deserve the attention of scientific examination considering their large proportion among smartphone users. It is especially true considering the emerging trend of geolocated online dating applications. Conclusions Before PTUS, no prior scale has been created to measure problematic Tinder use. The PTUS is a suitable and reliable measure to assess problematic Tinder use. PMID:27415602

Too many swipes for today: The development of the Problematic Tinder Use Scale (PTUS).

PubMed

Orosz, Gábor; Tóth-Király, István; Bőthe, Beáta; Melher, Dóra

2016-09-01

Background and aims Tinder is a very popular smartphone-based geolocated dating application. The goal of the present study was creating a short Problematic Tinder Use Scale (PTUS). Methods Griffiths' ( 2005 ) six-component model was implemented for covering all components of problematic Tinder use. Confirmatory factor analyses were carried out on a Tinder user sample (N = 430). Results Both the 12- and the 6-item versions were tested. The 6-item unidimensional structure has appropriate reliability and factor structure. No salient demography-related differences were found. Users irrespectively to their relationship status have similar scores on PTUS. Discussion Tinder users deserve the attention of scientific examination considering their large proportion among smartphone users. It is especially true considering the emerging trend of geolocated online dating applications. Conclusions Before PTUS, no prior scale has been created to measure problematic Tinder use. The PTUS is a suitable and reliable measure to assess problematic Tinder use.

The Prevalence of Inappropriate Image Duplication in Biomedical Research Publications

PubMed Central

Casadevall, Arturo; Fang, Ferric C.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Inaccurate data in scientific papers can result from honest error or intentional falsification. This study attempted to determine the percentage of published papers that contain inappropriate image duplication, a specific type of inaccurate data. The images from a total of 20,621 papers published in 40 scientific journals from 1995 to 2014 were visually screened. Overall, 3.8% of published papers contained problematic figures, with at least half exhibiting features suggestive of deliberate manipulation. The prevalence of papers with problematic images has risen markedly during the past decade. Additional papers written by authors of papers with problematic images had an increased likelihood of containing problematic images as well. As this analysis focused only on one type of data, it is likely that the actual prevalence of inaccurate data in the published literature is higher. The marked variation in the frequency of problematic images among journals suggests that journal practices, such as prepublication image screening, influence the quality of the scientific literature. PMID:27273827

Factorial validity of the Problematic Facebook Use Scale for adolescents and young adults.

PubMed

Marino, Claudia; Vieno, Alessio; Altoè, Gianmarco; Spada, Marcantonio M

2017-03-01

Background and aims Recent research on problematic Facebook use has highlighted the need to develop a specific theory-driven measure to assess this potential behavioral addiction. The aim of the present study was to examine the factorial validity of the Problematic Facebook Use Scale (PFUS) adapted from Caplan's Generalized Problematic Internet Scale model. Methods A total of 1,460 Italian adolescents and young adults (aged 14-29 years) participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analyses were performed in order to assess the factorial validity of the scale. Results Results revealed that the factor structure of the PFUS provided a good fit to the data. Furthermore, results of the multiple group analyses supported the invariance of the model across age and gender groups. Discussion and conclusions This study provides evidence supporting the factorial validity of the PFUS. This new scale provides a theory-driven tool to assess problematic use of Facebook among male and female adolescents and young adults.

Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissists: Who Is at Higher Risk for Social Networking Addiction?

PubMed

Casale, Silvia; Fioravanti, Giulia; Rugai, Laura

2016-08-01

Scholars have recently taken an interest in the connection between narcissism and Internet use, especially among users who frequent social networking sites (SNSs). Conversely, the association between narcissism and problematic use of SNSs (i.e., unregulated use that leads to negative outcomes) has been scarcely investigated. This study addresses this gap by comparing the mean levels of problematic use of SNSs among grandiose narcissists, vulnerable narcissists, and non-narcissists. A sample of 535 students completed the 16-item Narcissistic Personality Inventory, the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale, and the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS2). Vulnerable narcissists reported (a) significant higher levels on all GPIUS2 subscales and total scores than non-narcissists and (b) a stronger preference for online social interactions and higher overall levels of problematic use of SNSs than grandiose narcissists. Conversely, no significant differences were found between grandiose narcissists and non-narcissists. This study suggests that vulnerable narcissism may contribute more to problematic use of SNSs than grandiose narcissism.

Side Effects of HIV Medicines: HIV and Lactic Acidosis

MedlinePlus

... Drugs Clinical Trials Apps skip to content Side Effects of HIV Medicines Home Understanding HIV/AIDS Fact ... and Immunizations What is a Drug Interaction? Side Effects of HIV Medicines HIV Medicines and Side Effects ...

Identification and stabilization methods for problematic silt soils : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-05-01

The objective of this research are to (1) identify the soil properties and characteristics that contribute to a pumping condition, (2) evaluate the effectiveness of selected chemical stabilization techniques, and (3) provide a recommendation for alte...

The Mediator Roles of Life Satisfaction and Self-Esteem between the Affective Components of Psychological Well-Being and the Cognitive Symptoms of Problematic Internet Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senol-Durak, Emre; Durak, Mithat

2011-01-01

The factors associated with cognitions about problematic Internet use have been empirically tested in various studies. The aim of the present study was to examine the mediator roles of both life satisfaction and self-esteem between affective components of subjective well-being and cognitions about problematic Internet use. For this purpose, the…

On problematic aspects in learning trigonometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamber, Dina; Takaci, Djurdjica

2018-02-01

In this paper, research on some problematic aspects high school students have in learning trigonometry is presented. It is based on making sense of mathematics through perception, operation and reason in the case of trigonometry. We analyzed students' understanding of trigonometric concepts in the frame of triangle and circle trigonometry contexts, as well as the transition between these two contexts. In the conclusion, we present some new problematic aspects we noticed.

An investigation into problematic smartphone use: The role of narcissism, anxiety, and personality factors

PubMed Central

Hussain, Zaheer; Griffiths, Mark D.; Sheffield, David

2017-01-01

Background and aims Over the last decade, worldwide smartphone usage has greatly increased. Alongside this growth, research on the influence of smartphones on human behavior has also increased. However, a growing number of studies have shown that excessive use of smartphones can lead to detrimental consequences in a minority of individuals. This study examines the psychological aspects of smartphone use particularly in relation to problematic use, narcissism, anxiety, and personality factors. Methods A sample of 640 smartphone users ranging from 13 to 69 years of age (mean = 24.89 years, SD = 8.54) provided complete responses to an online survey including modified DSM-5 criteria of Internet Gaming Disorder to assess problematic smartphone use, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. Results The results demonstrated significant relationships between problematic smartphone use and anxiety, conscientiousness, openness, emotional stability, the amount of time spent on smartphones, and age. The results also demonstrated that conscientiousness, emotional stability, and age were independent predictors of problematic smartphone use. Conclusion The findings demonstrate that problematic smartphone use is associated with various personality factors and contributes to further understanding the psychology of smartphone behavior and associations with excessive use of smartphones. PMID:28849667

Which activities threaten independent living of elderly when becoming problematic: inspiration for meaningful service robot functionality.

PubMed

Bedaf, Sandra; Gelderblom, Gert Jan; Syrdal, Dag Sverre; Lehmann, Hagen; Michel, Hervé; Hewson, David; Amirabdollahian, Farshid; Dautenhahn, Kerstin; de Witte, Luc

2014-11-01

In light of the increasing elderly population and the growing demand for home care, the potential of robot support is given increasing attention. In this paper, an inventory of activities was made that threaten independent living of elderly when becoming problematic. Results will guide the further development of an existing service robot, the Care-O-bot®. A systematic literature search of PubMed was performed, focused on the risk factors for institutionalization. Additionally, focus group sessions were conducted in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and France. In these focus group sessions, problematic activities threatening the independence of elderly people were discussed. Three separate target groups were included in the focus group sessions: (1) elderly persons (n = 41), (2) formal caregivers (n = 40) and (3) informal caregivers (n = 32). Activities within the International Classification of Functioning domains mobility, self-care, and interpersonal interaction and relationships were found to be the most problematic. A distinct set of daily activities was identified that may threaten independent living, but no single activity could be selected as the main activity causing a loss of independence as it is often a combination of problematic activities that is person-specific. Supporting the problematic activities need not involve a robotic solution.

An investigation into problematic smartphone use: The role of narcissism, anxiety, and personality factors.

PubMed

Hussain, Zaheer; Griffiths, Mark D; Sheffield, David

2017-09-01

Background and aims Over the last decade, worldwide smartphone usage has greatly increased. Alongside this growth, research on the influence of smartphones on human behavior has also increased. However, a growing number of studies have shown that excessive use of smartphones can lead to detrimental consequences in a minority of individuals. This study examines the psychological aspects of smartphone use particularly in relation to problematic use, narcissism, anxiety, and personality factors. Methods A sample of 640 smartphone users ranging from 13 to 69 years of age (mean = 24.89 years, SD = 8.54) provided complete responses to an online survey including modified DSM-5 criteria of Internet Gaming Disorder to assess problematic smartphone use, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. Results The results demonstrated significant relationships between problematic smartphone use and anxiety, conscientiousness, openness, emotional stability, the amount of time spent on smartphones, and age. The results also demonstrated that conscientiousness, emotional stability, and age were independent predictors of problematic smartphone use. Conclusion The findings demonstrate that problematic smartphone use is associated with various personality factors and contributes to further understanding the psychology of smartphone behavior and associations with excessive use of smartphones.

Response inhibition moderates the association between drug use and risky sexual behavior.

PubMed

Nydegger, Liesl A; Ames, Susan L; Stacy, Alan W; Grenard, Jerry L

2014-09-01

HIV infection is problematic among all drug users, not only injection drug users. Drug users are at risk for contracting HIV by engaging in risky sexual behaviors. The present study sought to determine whether inhibitory processes moderate the relationship between problematic drug use and HIV-risk behaviors (unprotected sex and multiple sex partners). One hundred ninety-six drug offenders enrolled in drug education programs were administered a battery of computer-based assessments. Measures included a cued go/no-go assessment of inhibitory processes, the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) assessment of problematic drug use, and self-report assessment of condom use and multiple sex partners. Findings revealed that response inhibition assessed by the proportion of false alarms on the cued go/no-go moderated the relationship between problematic drug use and an important measure of HIV risk (condom nonuse) among drug offenders. However, response inhibition did not moderate the relationship between problematic drug use and another measure of HIV risk: multiple sex partners. Among this sample of drug offenders, we have found a relationship between problematic drug use and condom nonuse, which is exacerbated by poor control of inhibition. These findings have implications for the development of HIV intervention components among high-risk populations.

Framing effects on expectations, decisions, and side effects experienced: the case of influenza immunization.

PubMed

O'Connor, A M; Pennie, R A; Dales, R E

1996-11-01

To examine the effects of using positive or negative frames to describe influenza vaccine benefits and side effects on patients' expectations, decisions, decisional conflict, and reported side effects. 292 previously unimmunized patients with chronic respiratory or cardiac disease were randomly assigned to receive benefit/risk information that was framed: (1) positively as the percentage who remain free of influenza and have no vaccine side effects, or (2) negatively as the percentage who acquire influenza and have vaccine side effects. Questionnaires elicited expectations, decisions, and decisional conflict. Vaccines were telephoned 3 days later for a self-report of local and systemic side effects and work absenteeism. Both groups had similar immunization rates and decisional conflict scores. The positive frame group had lower and more realistic expectations of vaccine side effects, fewer systemic side effects, and less work absenteeism (p < 0.05). In contrast to previous studies of health care workers, framing did not influence patients' decisions, possibly due to the patients' awareness of their higher risk of influenza complications and greater desire to follow recommendations. The common practice of using negative frames when describing probabilities of side effects may need to be reexamined, considering its deleterious influence on self-reported side effects and work absenteeism.

Changing Beginning Teachers' Content Knowledge and Its Effects on Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinelnikov, Oleg A.; Kim, Insook; Ward, Phillip; Curtner-Smith, Mathew; Li, Weidong

2016-01-01

Background: Lack of content knowledge (CK) is problematic in teaching in classroom subject areas and in physical education. There is a dearth of data-based research on interventions aimed at helping teachers acquire CK and, in turn, on the effects of CK on student learning. Aim: To investigate the effect of professional development, in the form of…

Distinct patterns of Internet and smartphone-related problems among adolescents by gender: Latent class analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Seung-Yup; Lee, Donghwan; Nam, Cho Rong; Kim, Da Yea; Park, Sera; Kwon, Jun-Gun; Kweon, Yong-Sil; Lee, Youngjo; Kim, Dai Jin; Choi, Jung-Seok

2018-05-23

Background and objectives The ubiquitous Internet connections by smartphones weakened the traditional boundaries between computers and mobile phones. We sought to explore whether smartphone-related problems differ from those of computer use according to gender using latent class analysis (LCA). Methods After informed consents, 555 Korean middle-school students completed surveys on gaming, Internet use, and smartphone usage patterns. They also completed various psychosocial instruments. LCA was performed for the whole group and by gender. In addition to ANOVA and χ 2 tests, post-hoc tests were conducted to examine differences among the LCA subgroups. Results In the whole group (n = 555), four subtypes were identified: dual-problem users (49.5%), problematic Internet users (7.7%), problematic smartphone users (32.1%), and "healthy" users (10.6%). Dual-problem users scored highest for addictive behaviors and other psychopathologies. The gender-stratified LCA revealed three subtypes for each gender. With dual-problem and healthy subgroup as common, problematic Internet subgroup was classified in the males, whereas problematic smartphone subgroup was classified in the females in the gender-stratified LCA. Thus, distinct patterns were observed according to gender with higher proportion of dual-problem present in males. While gaming was associated with problematic Internet use in males, aggression and impulsivity demonstrated associations with problematic smartphone use in females. Conclusions An increase in the number of digital media-related problems was associated with worse outcomes in various psychosocial scales. Gaming may play a crucial role in males solely displaying Internet-related problems. The heightened impulsivity and aggression seen in our female problematic smartphone users requires further research.

Side Effects of Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists in Asthmatic Children.

PubMed

Erdem, Semiha Bahceci; Nacaroglu, Hikmet Tekin; Unsal Karkiner, Canan Sule; Gunay, Ilker; Can, Demet

2015-10-01

Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) are drugs which have been widely used more than ten years. As the use of LTRAs increases, our knowledge with respect to their side effects increases as well. The objective of our study was to evaluat the observed side effects of LTRAs used in patients with astma. 1024 patients treated only with LTRAs owing to asthma or early wheezing were included in the study for a five-year period. The observed side effects of LTRAs in these patients were retrospectively investigated. The side effects were divided into two parts as psychiatric and non-psychiatric. Among the 1024 cases included in the study, 67.5% of the patients out of 41 with side effects were male, 32.5% were female and the average age was 6.5 years. The rate of patients with asthma was 63.41% and 36.58% of the patients had early wheezing. It was determined that sex, age and diagnosis (early wheezing or asthma) of the patients were ineffective in the emergence of side effects. The average period for the emergence of side effects was the first month. It was observed that hyperactivity was the most frequently observed psychiatric side effect and that abdominal pain was the non-psychiatric side effect. The side effects of LTRAs were common in children. Therefore, patients must be informed at the beginning of the treatment and they must be evaluated at certain intervals.

The problematic use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in adolescents by the cross sectional JOITIC study.

PubMed

Muñoz-Miralles, Raquel; Ortega-González, Raquel; López-Morón, M Rosa; Batalla-Martínez, Carme; Manresa, Josep María; Montellà-Jordana, Núria; Chamarro, Andrés; Carbonell, Xavier; Torán-Monserrat, Pere

2016-08-22

The emerging field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has brought about new interaction styles. Its excessive use may lead to addictive behaviours. The objective is to determine the prevalence of the problematic use of ICT such as Internet, mobile phones and video games, among adolescents enrolled in mandatory Secondary Education (ESO in Spanish) and to examine associated factors. Cross sectional, multi-centric descriptive study. 5538 students enrolled in years one to four of ESO at 28 schools in the Vallès Occidental region (Barcelona, Spain). self-administered socio-demographic and ICT access questionnaire, and validated questionnaires on experiences related to the use of the Internet, mobile phones and video games (CERI, CERM, CERV). Questionnaires were collected from 5,538 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 20 (77.3 % of the total response), 48.6 % were females. Problematic use of the Internet was observed in 13.6 % of the surveyed individuals; problematic use of mobile phones in 2.4 % and problematic use in video games in 6.2 %. Problematic Internet use was associated with female students, tobacco consumption, a background of binge drinking, the use of cannabis or other drugs, poor academic performance, poor family relationships and an intensive use of the computer. Factors associated with the problematic use of mobile phones were the consumption of other drugs and an intensive use of these devices. Frequent problems with video game use have been associated with male students, the consumption of other drugs, poor academic performance, poor family relationships and an intensive use of these games. This study offers information on the prevalence of addictive behaviours of the Internet, mobile phones and video game use. The problematic use of these ICT devices has been related to the consumption of drugs, poor academic performance and poor family relationships. This intensive use may constitute a risk marker for ICT addiction.

Cytotoxic and anti-angiogenic paclitaxel solubilized and permeation-enhanced by natural product nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Liu, Zhijun; Zhang, Fang; Koh, Gar Yee; Dong, Xin; Hollingsworth, Javoris; Zhang, Jian; Russo, Paul S.; Yang, Peiying; Stout, Rhett W.

2014-01-01

Paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the most potent intravenous chemotherapeutic agents to date, yet an oral formulation has been problematic due to its low solubility and permeability. Using the recently discovered solubilizing properties of rubusoside (RUB), we investigated this unique PTX-RUB formulation. Paclitaxel was solubilized by RUB in water to levels of 1.6 to 6.3 mg/mL at 10 to 40% weight/volume. These, nanomicellar, PTX-RUB complexes were dried to a powder which was subsequently reconstituted in physiologic solutions. After 2.5 hrs in gastric fluid 85 to 99% of PTX-RUB remained soluble, while 79 to 96% remained soluble in intestinal fluid. The solubilization of PTX was mechanized by the formation of water-soluble spherical nanomicelles between PTX and RUB with an average diameter of 6.6 nm. Compared with Taxol®, PTX-RUB nanoparticles were nearly four times more permeable in Caco-2 cell monocultures. In a side-by-side comparison with DMSO-solubilized PTX, PTX-RUB maintained the same level of cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 4 nM to 20 nM. Additionally, tubular formation and migration of HUVECs were inhibited at levels as low as 5 nM. These chemical and biological properties demonstrated by the PTX-RUB nanoparticles may improve oral bioavailability and enable further pharmacokinetic, toxicologic, and efficacy investigations. PMID:25243454

Stratigraphic potential of Bolboforma significantly increased by new finds in the North Atlantic and South Pacific

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poag, C. Wylie; Karowe, A. I.

1986-01-01

Until now, the genus Bolboforma, a problematic group of calcareous microfossils, has been recorded only in Oligocene to Pliocene marine sedimentary rocks, chiefly in the eastern North Atlantic region. We add to this eastern North Atlantic record six new sites and eleven undescribed species from the continental slopes of Ireland and Morocco. More significantly, we record, for the first time, abundant assemblages of Bolboforma on the western side of the North Atlantic and in the western South Pacific. Seven boreholes on the continental shelf and slope of New Jersey and Virginia contain ten species, three of which are new. Two species are present in two outcrops in eastern Mississippi and four are present in a borehole in the coastal plain of Virginia. On the Lord Howe Rise, west of New Zealand, a DSDP corehole has yielded a rich assemblage including four undescribed species. In addition to expanding the geographic distribution of Bolboforma, our work extends the known stratigraphic range downward into the upper Eocene on both sides of the North Atlantic and in the western South Pacific. Our findings firmly support the inference of a planktonic life style for Bolboforma, which implies a significant potential for biostratigraphic, paleobiogeographic, and paleoenvironmental studies, on both a local and global scale. We recommend a concerted effort to further document the nature and distribution of Bolboforma.

Facilitating the Information Exchange Using a Modular Electronic Discharge Summary.

PubMed

Denecke, Kerstin; Dittli, Pascal A; Kanagarasa, Niveadha; Nüssli, Stephan

2018-01-01

Discharge summaries are a standard communication tool delivering important clinical information from inpatient to ambulatory care. To ensure a high quality, correctness and completeness, the generation process is time consuming. It requires also contributions of multiple persons. This is problematic since the primary care provider needs the information from the discharge summary for continuing the intended treatment. To address this challenge, we developed a concept for exchanging a modular electronic discharge summary. Through a literature review and interviews with multiple stakeholders, we analysed existing processes and derived requirements for an improved communication of the discharge summary. In this paper, we suggest a concept of a modular electronic discharge summary that is exchanged through the electronic patient dossier in CDA CH level 2 documents. Until 2020, all Swiss hospitals are obliged to connect to the electronic patient dossier. Our concept allows to access already completed modules of the discharge summary from the primary care side, before the entire report is entirely finalised. The data is automatically merged with the local patient record on the physician side and prepared for data integration into the practice information system. Our concept offers the opportunity not only to improve the information exchange between hospital and primary care, but it also provides a potential use case and demonstrates a benefit of the electronic patient dossier for primary care providers who are so far not obliged to connect to the patient dossier in Switzerland.

A Comparison of Sexual Side Effects of Antidepressants With and Without Naltrexone.

PubMed

Thapa, Mona; Petrakis, Ismene; Ralevski, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

The aim of the study was to compare the rate of sexual side effects of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine versus the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine and to examine the effect of co-prescription of naltrexone on sexual side effects among participants in a randomized clinical trial. This was a secondary analysis (N = 88) of veterans who participated in a 12-week trial. All veterans were randomized into one of four treatment groups: (a) desipramine/naltrexone, (b) desipramine/placebo, (c) paroxetine/naltrexone, and (d) paroxetine/placebo. The main outcome measure was the frequency of sexual side effects consisting of "decreased sex drive" and/or "impotence" reported by veterans at each weekly visit. Approximately 61% of the veterans reported sexual side effects at least once during the trial, and 26.4% reported sexual side effects throughout the study. There were no significant differences in the frequency of sexual side effects among the four treatment groups. The results were similar when the comparison was made between the two antidepressant groups. There were no significant differences in the reporting of sexual side effects between those receiving desipramine and paroxetine. Also, the comparison between naltrexone and placebo did not alter the results. This is the first study to compare frequency of sexual side effect reporting between paroxetine and desipramine. We found no statistically significant differences in sexual side effect reporting between the two antidepressants. Also, the addition of naltrexone did not show any beneficial effect on the sexual side effect profile.

Reconciling the good patient persona with problematic and non-problematic humour: a grounded theory.

PubMed

McCreaddie, May; Wiggins, Sally

2009-08-01

Humour is a complex phenomenon, incorporating cognitive, emotional, behavioural, physiological and social aspects. Research to date has concentrated on reviewing (rehearsed) humour and 'healthy' individuals via correlation studies using personality-trait based measurements, principally on psychology students in laboratory conditions. Nurses are key participants in modern healthcare interactions however, little is known about their (spontaneous) humour use. A middle-range theory that accounted for humour use in CNS-patient interactions was the aim of the study. The study reviewed the antecedents of humour exploring the use of humour in relation to (motivational) humour theories. Twenty Clinical Nurse Specialist-patient interactions and their respective peer groups in a country of the United Kingdom. An evolved constructivist grounded theory approach investigated a complex and dynamic phenomenon in situated contexts. Naturally occurring interactions provided the basis of the data corpus with follow-up interviews, focus groups, observation and field notes. A constant comparative approach to data collection and analysis was applied until theoretical sufficiency incorporating an innovative interpretative and illustrative framework. This paper reports the grounded theory and is principally based upon 20 CNS-patient interactions and follow-up data. The negative case analysis and peer group interactions will be reported in separate publications. The theory purports that patients' use humour to reconcile a good patient persona. The core category of the good patient persona, two of its constituent elements (compliance, sycophancy), conditions under which it emerges and how this relates to the use of humour are outlined and discussed. In seeking to establish and maintain a meaningful and therapeutic interaction with the CNS, patients enact a good patient persona to varying degrees depending upon the situated context. The good patient persona needs to be maintained within the interaction and is therefore reconciled with potentially problematic or non-problematic humour use. Humour is therefore used to deferentially package concerns (potentially problematic humour) or affiliate (potentially non-problematic humour). This paper reviews the good patient persona (compliance, sycophancy), potentially problematic humour (self-disparaging, gallows) and briefly, non-problematic humour (incongruity). The middle-range theory differentiates potentially problematic humour from non-problematic humour and notes that how humour is identified and addressed is central to whether patients concerns are resolved or not. The study provides a robust review of humour in healthcare interactions with important implications for practice. Further, this study develops and extends humour research and contributes to an evolved application of constructivist grounded theory.

How does the side-effect information in patient information leaflets influence peoples' side-effect expectations? A cross-sectional national survey of 18- to 65-year-olds in England.

PubMed

Webster, Rebecca K; Weinman, John; Rubin, G James

2017-12-01

To establish how the terms recommended by the European Commission to describe side-effect risk in patient information leaflets (PILs) influences expectations of side-effects and to identify factors associated with these side-effect expectations. A cross-sectional online survey was carried out by a market research company. Data were collected in England between 18th March and 1st April 2016. A total of 1003 adults aged between 18 and 65. Self-reported expectation that the described side-effects would affect participants if they took the medicine, measured on a likelihood scale from 1 (very unlikely) to 5 (very likely). Participants formed high expectations of side-effects for "very common" and "common" side-effects, with 51.9% and 45.0% of participants rating these as "very likely" or "likely" to happen to them, respectively. This fell to 8.1% for "uncommon," 5.8% for "rare" and 4.1% for "very rare." For each descriptor, higher expectations of side-effects were more associated with women or being from an ethnic minority, or having less education, a household illness, high perceived sensitivity to medicines or negative beliefs about medicines. The current use of verbal descriptors to communicate side-effect risk in PILs leads to high side-effect expectations. These expectations could contribute to nocebo-induced medication side-effects experienced by patients. Additional work is required to identify ways to improve the way risk information is conveyed in PILs. © 2017 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Problematic internet use and problematic online gaming are not the same: findings from a large nationally representative adolescent sample.

PubMed

Király, Orsolya; Griffiths, Mark D; Urbán, Róbert; Farkas, Judit; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi; Elekes, Zsuzsanna; Tamás, Domokos; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2014-12-01

There is an ongoing debate in the literature whether problematic Internet use (PIU) and problematic online gaming (POG) are two distinct conceptual and nosological entities or whether they are the same. The present study contributes to this question by examining the interrelationship and the overlap between PIU and POG in terms of sex, school achievement, time spent using the Internet and/or online gaming, psychological well-being, and preferred online activities. Questionnaires assessing these variables were administered to a nationally representative sample of adolescent gamers (N=2,073; Mage=16.4 years, SD=0.87; 68.4% male). Data showed that Internet use was a common activity among adolescents, while online gaming was engaged in by a considerably smaller group. Similarly, more adolescents met the criteria for PIU than for POG, and a small group of adolescents showed symptoms of both problem behaviors. The most notable difference between the two problem behaviors was in terms of sex. POG was much more strongly associated with being male. Self-esteem had low effect sizes on both behaviors, while depressive symptoms were associated with both PIU and POG, affecting PIU slightly more. In terms of preferred online activities, PIU was positively associated with online gaming, online chatting, and social networking, while POG was only associated with online gaming. Based on our findings, POG appears to be a conceptually different behavior from PIU, and therefore the data support the notion that Internet Addiction Disorder and Internet Gaming Disorder are separate nosological entities.

Childhood adversities and risk for problematic alcohol use.

PubMed

Dragan, Małgorzata; Hardt, Jochen

2016-08-01

The findings from studies exploring the relationship between childhood adversities (CAs) and adolescent and adult drinking problems are inconclusive - some researchers have found strong effects, others virtually none. In this study, we sought to examine the associations between 23 types of retrospectively reported CAs and adult problematic alcohol use in two samples, one drawn from Germany, the other from Poland. A total sample of 1008 participants was recruited via the internet: 500 in Germany and 508 in Poland. They completed a set of questionnaires including questions regarding various types of CA, and also the CAGE tool for the identification of problem drinking. CAs were grouped into four categories: Negative Personal Experience, Family Adversities, Parental Disorders, Parent-Child Relationships; this last category included role reversal. Separate logistic regression analyses were performed, with age, gender and country as potential confounders. The probability of having an alcohol problem was higher in men, and higher in Poland than in Germany. Of the risk factors tested, three displayed a significant association with problematic alcohol use. The risk factors concerned were Regular Arguments Between the Parents, plus two types of adversities from the Parent-Child Relationships cluster: Maternal Control and Maternal Role Reversal. The results serve to underline the importance of examining links between childhood risk factors and problematic alcohol use, and also suggest that certain less visible symptoms of a disordered parent-child (particularly mother-child) relationship, such as parentification, may constitute important risk factors for the development of drinking problems in later life. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Problematic Internet Use and Problematic Online Gaming Are Not the Same: Findings from a Large Nationally Representative Adolescent Sample

PubMed Central

Griffiths, Mark D.; Urbán, Róbert; Farkas, Judit; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi; Elekes, Zsuzsanna; Tamás, Domokos; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2014-01-01

Abstract There is an ongoing debate in the literature whether problematic Internet use (PIU) and problematic online gaming (POG) are two distinct conceptual and nosological entities or whether they are the same. The present study contributes to this question by examining the interrelationship and the overlap between PIU and POG in terms of sex, school achievement, time spent using the Internet and/or online gaming, psychological well-being, and preferred online activities. Questionnaires assessing these variables were administered to a nationally representative sample of adolescent gamers (N=2,073; Mage=16.4 years, SD=0.87; 68.4% male). Data showed that Internet use was a common activity among adolescents, while online gaming was engaged in by a considerably smaller group. Similarly, more adolescents met the criteria for PIU than for POG, and a small group of adolescents showed symptoms of both problem behaviors. The most notable difference between the two problem behaviors was in terms of sex. POG was much more strongly associated with being male. Self-esteem had low effect sizes on both behaviors, while depressive symptoms were associated with both PIU and POG, affecting PIU slightly more. In terms of preferred online activities, PIU was positively associated with online gaming, online chatting, and social networking, while POG was only associated with online gaming. Based on our findings, POG appears to be a conceptually different behavior from PIU, and therefore the data support the notion that Internet Addiction Disorder and Internet Gaming Disorder are separate nosological entities. PMID:25415659

Substance Use Profiles of Urban American Indian Adolescents: A Latent Class Analysis.

PubMed

Kulis, Stephen S; Jager, Justin; Ayers, Stephanie L; Lateef, Husain; Kiehne, Elizabeth

2016-07-28

A growing majority of American Indian adolescents now live in cities and are at high risk of early and problematic substance use and its negative health effects. This study used latent class analysis to empirically derive heterogeneous patterns of substance use among urban American Indian adolescents, examined demographic correlates of the resulting latent classes, and tested for differences among the latent classes in other risk behavior and prosocial outcomes. The study employed a representative sample of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade American Indian adolescents (n = 2,407) in public or charter schools in metropolitan areas of Arizona in 2012. Latent class analysis examined eight types of last 30 day substance use. Four latent classes emerged: a large group of "nonusers" (69%); a substantial minority using alcohol, tobacco, and/or marijuana [ATM] (17%); a smaller group of polysubstance users consuming, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, other illicit drugs, and prescription or OTC drugs in combination (6%); and a "not alcohol" group reporting combinations of tobacco, marijuana, and prescription drug use, but rarely alcohol use (4%). The latent classes varied by age and grade level, but not by other demographic characteristics, and aligned in highly consistent patterns on other non-substance use outcomes. Polysubstance users reported the most problematic and nonusers the least problematic outcomes, with ATM and "not alcohol" users in the middle. Urban AI adolescent substance use occurs in three somewhat distinctive patterns of combinations of recent alcohol and drug consumption, covarying in systematic ways with other problematic risk behaviors and attitudes.

Problematic Drinking Among Postgraduate Students: Binge Drinking, Prepartying, and Mixing Alcohol With Energy Drinks.

PubMed

Rutledge, Patricia C; Bestrashniy, Jessica R B M; Nelson, Toben F

2016-07-02

Although problematic alcohol use has been studied extensively in undergraduate students, little is known about problematic drinking among postgraduate students. This study examined binge drinking, prepartying, and mixing alcohol with energy drinks to determine: (1) the extent to which postgraduate students engage in these drinking behaviors, (2) how postgraduate students differ from undergraduate students in these behaviors, and (3) the demographic risk factors for these behaviors in postgraduate (and undergraduate) students. This study utilized data from n = 695 students (n = 298 postgraduate; n = 397 undergraduate) who participated in the Healthy Minds Study at a large, public university in the Midwestern US. Past-two-week binge drinking, past-year and past-30-day prepartying, and past-30-day mixing alcohol with energy drinks were reported by 26.2%, 28.6%, 14.9%, and 8.1% of postgraduate students, respectively. Multivariate analyses indicated that postgraduate status was a significant negative predictor of binge drinking and prepartying, and that status interacted with age in predicting prepartying such that the effect of age on prepartying was negative for postgraduate students and nonsignificant for undergraduates. Age was a significant negative predictor of mixing alcohol with energy drinks for all students. This study makes a unique contribution to the literature by providing information on problematic drinking in postgraduate students. Although there was evidence of "maturing out," a substantial number of postgraduate students were found to engage in binge drinking and prepartying, and a not insubstantial number of them were found to mix alcohol with energy drinks.

Neurobehavioral and self-awareness changes after traumatic brain injury: Towards new multidimensional approaches.

PubMed

Arnould, A; Dromer, E; Rochat, L; Van der Linden, M; Azouvi, P

2016-02-01

Neurobehavioral and self-awareness changes are frequently observed following traumatic brain injury (TBI). These disturbances have been related to negative consequences on functional outcomes, caregiver distress and social reintegration, representing therefore a challenge for clinical research. Some studies have recently been conducted to specifically explore apathetic and impulsive manifestations, as well as self-awareness impairments in patients with TBI. These findings underlined the heterogeneity of clinical manifestations for each behavioral disturbance and the diversity of psychological processes involved. In this context, new multidimensional approaches taking into account the various processes at play have been proposed to better understand and apprehend the complexity and dynamic nature of these problematic behaviors. In addition, the involvement of social and environmental factors as well as premorbid personality traits have increasingly been addressed. These new multidimensional frameworks have the potential to ensure targeted and effective rehabilitation by allowing a better identification and therefore consideration of the various mechanisms involved in the onset of problematic behaviors. In this context, the main objective of this position paper was to demonstrate the interest of multidimensional approaches in the understanding and rehabilitation of problematic behaviors in patients with TBI. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Anxiety Sensitivity Mediates Relations between Emotional Disorders and Smoking

PubMed Central

Zvolensky, Michael J.; Farris, Samantha G.; Leventhal, Adam; Schmidt, Norman B.

2014-01-01

Objectives Research has documented consistent and robust relations between emotional disorders (i.e., depressive and anxiety disorders) and smoking. Yet, it is presently unclear whether anxiety sensitivity, the fear of aversive internal anxiety states, may account for the relations between emotional disorders and various smoking processes, including nicotine dependence, perceived barriers to smoking cessation, and severity of problematic symptoms while quitting during past cessation attempts. Method Participants (n = 465) were treatment-seeking daily tobacco smokers recruited as part of a larger tobacco cessation study. Baseline (pre-treatment) data were utilized. Emotional disorders were assessed via clinical diagnostic interview; self-report measures were used to assess anxiety sensitivity and three criterion variables: nicotine dependence, barriers to smoking cessation, and severity of problematic symptoms while quitting in past attempts. Results Emotional disorders were predictive of higher levels of nicotine dependence, greater perceived barriers to cessation, and greater severity of problematic symptoms while quitting in past attempts; each of these relations were accounted for by the indirect effect of anxiety sensitivity. Discussion The present findings suggest that anxiety sensitivity may be an important transdiagnostic construct in explicating the nature of the relations between emotional disorders and various smoking processes. PMID:25222178

Side Effects to Antidepressant Treatment in Patients With Depression and Comorbid Panic Disorder.

PubMed

Shankman, Stewart A; Gorka, Stephanie M; Katz, Andrea C; Klein, Daniel N; Markowitz, John C; Arnow, Bruce A; Manber, Rachel; Rothbaum, Barbara O; Thase, Michael E; Schatzberg, Alan F; Keller, Martin B; Trivedi, Madhukar H; Kocsis, James H

2017-04-01

Side effects to antidepressant medication can affect the efficacy of treatment, but few predictors foretell who experiences side effects and which side effects they experience. This secondary data analysis examined whether depressed patients with comorbid panic disorder were more likely to experience side effects than those without panic disorder. The study also examined whether greater burden of side effects predicted a poorer treatment course for patients with panic disorder than those without panic disorder. To examine the specificity of these effects, analyses also examined 2 other anxiety disorders-social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Between 2002 and 2006, a large sample (N = 808) of chronically depressed individuals (assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders [SCID-IV]) received antidepressants according to a predetermined algorithm for 12 weeks. Every 2 weeks, depressive symptoms (per the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) and side effects (specific side effects as well as several indicators of side effect burden) were assessed. Lifetime diagnosis of panic disorder (assessed using the SCID-IV) at baseline was associated with higher likelihood of gastrointestinal (OR = 1.6 [95% CI, 1.0-2.6]), cardiac (OR = 1.8 [95% CI, 1.1-3.1]), neurologic (OR = 2.6 [95% CI, 1.6-4.2]), and genitourinary side effects (OR = 3.0 [95% CI, 1.7-5.3]) during treatment. Increases in side effect frequency, intensity, and impairment over time were more strongly associated with increases in depressive symptoms for patients with panic disorder compared to those without panic disorder. Neither social phobia nor GAD was associated with these effects. Potentially due to heighte​ned interoceptive awareness of changes in their body, chronically depressed individuals with panic disorder may be at greater risk than those without panic disorder for antidepressant side effects and to experience a worsening of depressive symptoms as a result of these side effects over time. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00057551​. © Copyright 2017 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Medications and Side Effects

MedlinePlus

... to fully work. You might feel some side effects of your medication before your feel the benefits – ... as sleepiness, anxiety or headache) is a side effect or a symptom of your illness. Many side ...

ECONOMIC STRESSORS AND ALCOHOL-RELATED OUTCOMES: EXPLORING GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SOMATIC COMPLAINTS

PubMed Central

BROWN, ROBYN LEWIS; RICHMAN, JUDITH A.; ROSPENDA, KATHLEEN M.

2015-01-01

This study examined processes linking economic stressors, somatic complaints, and two alcohol-related outcomes (past-month drinking and problematic drinking). Structural equation models of data from a national survey revealed that somatic complaints partly explain the association between economic stressors and problematic drinking. The associations of both economic stressors and somatic complaints with problematic drinking were significantly greater for men than women. However, the association between economic stressors and somatic complaints was greater for women. These findings clarify the circumstances in which gender matters most for the associations among economy-related stressors, somatic complaints, and drinking. They highlight the significance of difficult economic circumstances for physical health and, in turn, problematic drinking – particularly among men. PMID:25310370

The dose-dependent effect of chronic administration of haloperidol, risperidone, and quetiapine on sexual behavior in the male rat.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiang Rong; Zhang, Zhi Jun; Jenkins, Trisha A; Cheng, Wei Rong; Reynolds, Gavin P

2011-12-01

Antipsychotic drug-induced sexual dysfunction is a common and problematic side effect, which may diminish quality of life and lead to treatment noncompliance. Up to date, there is still a scarcity of basic research regarding the chronic effects of most antipsychotic agents on sexual behavior. The present study investigated the effect of a range of doses of three antipsychotic drugs (haloperidol, risperidone, and quetiapine) on male rat sexual competence following chronic administration. Twelve groups of Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 7 each) received by gavage haloperidol (0.25, 0.5, or 1 mg/kg), risperidone (0.125, 0.25, or 0.5 mg/kg), quetiapine (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) or vehicle (distilled water) in the corresponding control groups, respectively, once daily for 21 days. Sexual function was evaluated by the copulatory behavior test 10 hours after the last dose. The male rat behavioral parameters of copulatory test. Sexual function was widely and significantly suppressed by high dose haloperidol (1 mg/kg) after 21 days administration compared with the control group, which included both frequency and latency of intromission and ejaculation. Only ejaculation latency was significantly impaired after administration with 0.5 mg/kg haloperidol. Compared with the control group, high dose risperidone (0.5 mg/kg) significantly decreased the frequency of mounting. There were no significant changes in sexual behavior with the lower doses of either haloperidol or risperidone. Sexual behavior was not influenced by any dose of quetiapine. Haloperidol and risperidone, but not quetiapine, could impair sexual competence in a dose-related manner in male rats. © 2010 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Cancer Treatment for Women: Possible Sexual Side Effects

MedlinePlus

... the clitoris. These play a major part in sexual arousal in women. Removing the vulva and the clitoris ... www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/fertility-and-sexual-side-effects/sexuality-for-women-with-cancer.html. ...

"There is a chain of connections": using syndemics theory to understand HIV treatment side effects.

PubMed

Gagnon, Marilou

2018-03-12

Side effects are central to the experience of living longer with HIV but rarely have they been studied alone. Unlike other aspects of that experience, like quality of life, treatment adherence, chronicity, episodic disability, aging, health, and viral load suppression, side effects have not benefited from the same level of empirical and theoretical engagement from qualitative researchers. In this paper, we draw on syndemics theory and 50 qualitative interviews to better understand the experience of HIV treatment side effects. Two main categories were identified in the data: side effects as a product and side effects as a risk factor. The first category suggests that side effects are not just the product of taking antiretroviral drugs. They are also the product of particular conditions and tend to cluster with other health problems. The second category puts forward the idea that side effects can act as a syndemic risk factor by exposing PLWH to a greater risk of developing health problems and creating conditions in which psychosocial issues are more likely to emerge. The paper concludes by calling for more research on the complex nature of side effects and for the development of comprehensive approaches for the assessment and management of side effects.

Patient-provider communication and hormonal therapy side effects in breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

Lin, Jenny J; Chao, Jennifer; Bickell, Nina A; Wisnivesky, Juan P

2017-09-01

Side effects from hormonal therapy (HT) for breast cancer treatment occur frequently and are associated with worse quality of life and HT non-adherence. Whether improved patient-physician communication is associated with patients' reporting of side effects is unknown. We undertook this study to assess factors associated with women's reports of HT side effects. Between December 2012 and April 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of breast cancer patients undergoing HT in an urban medical center. Descriptive statistics, univariate analyses, and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate associations. Of the 100 participants, 67% reported having HT side effects. However, when prompted, an additional 9% reported experiencing specific HT-related symptoms. Despite very high communication scores, one-third of participants reported they had not discussed side effects with providers. Multivariate analysis showed that after controlling for age, education, race, and medication beliefs, women who had difficulty asking providers for more information were more likely to report side effects (odds ratio 8.27, 95% confidence interval 1.01-69.88). Although HT side effects often occur and are bothersome, patient-provider discussions about side effects remain suboptimal. Providers should actively ask patients about medication side effects so that they can be addressed to improve quality of life and potentially, medication adherence.

Emergency Tourniquets

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

effective than other tourniquets,” referring to the Combat Applications Tourniquet ( CAT ), is problematic on two levels. First, this tourni- quet was...tourniquets tested were available commercially, and many failed to stop Doppler pulse. So, in fact, the CAT was more ef- fective than other tourniquets

Effect of ozone and distance from a major roadway on nitrogen oxides concentrations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-02-28

Despite recent advances in the automobile industry in reducing emissions from individual vehicles, air pollution in localities, where there are regional increases in the traffic volumes, still persist at problematic levels. Vehicular emissions are th...

Target discovery and antifungal intervention via chemical biology approaches

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Controlling infective fungi, especially pathogens that produce toxic secondary metabolites, is problematic as effective antimycotic agents are very limited. Moreover, the expansion of fungal resistance to commercial drugs is a global human health issue. Conventional antimycotic agents also cause ser...

Herbicide options for suppressing bermudagrass in sugarcane

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bermudagrass is a problematic weed in Louisiana sugarcane. The most effective herbicide options are limited to the fallow period prior to planting. Frequently, efforts to eliminate bermudagrass from fields during the fallow season are unsuccessful. This subjects newly planted sugarcane to competitio...

Side effect burden of antipsychotic drugs in real life - Impact of gender and polypharmacy.

PubMed

Iversen, Trude Seselie Jahr; Steen, Nils Eiel; Dieset, Ingrid; Hope, Sigrun; Mørch, Ragni; Gardsjord, Erlend Strand; Jørgensen, Kjetil Nordbø; Melle, Ingrid; Andreassen, Ole A; Molden, Espen; Jönsson, Erik G

2018-03-02

Antipsychotic-associated side effects are well known and represent a significant treatment challenge. Still, few large studies have investigated the overall side effect burden of antipsychotics in real-life settings. To describe the occurrence of side effects and perceived burden of antipsychotics in a large naturalistic sample, taking polypharmacy and patient characteristics into account. Patients (n=1087) with psychotic disorders were assessed for side effects using the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser (UKU) side effect rating scale in addition to assessment of clinical and pharmacological data. Statistical analyses were performed controlling for possible confounding factors. Use of antipsychotics showed significant associations to neurologic and sexual symptoms, sedation and weight gain, and >75% of antipsychotics-users reported side effects. More side effects were observed in patients using several antipsychotics (p=0.002), with increasing total dose (p=0.021) and with antipsychotics in combinations with other psychotropic drugs. Patients and investigators evaluated the side effect burden differently, particularly related to severity, gender and antipsychotics dose. Twice as many females described side effect burden as severe (p=0.004). Patients with psychotic disorders have a high occurrence of symptoms associated with use of antipsychotics, and polypharmacy and female gender are seemingly risk factors for reporting a severe side effect burden. Due to the cross-sectional design evaluation of causality is tentative, and these findings should be further investigated in prospective studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Glasgow antipsychotic side-effects scale for clozapine in inpatients and outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

PubMed

Ignjatović Ristić, Dragana; Cohen, Dan; Obradović, Andrea; Nikić-Đuričić, Katarina; Drašković, Marija; Hinić, Darko

2018-02-01

The inconsistency in clinician and patient ratings of clozapine-induced side effects underscore the need to supplement clinician-based estimates of side effects with patient-reported ones. The main aims of the study are validation of the Glasgow antipsychotic side-effects scale for clozapine (GASS-C) in Serbian inpatients/outpatients with schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder and recommendations for its future use, based on common and rare clozapine-associated side-effects. The GASS-C was administered to 95 outpatients/inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, or chronic psychotic disorder. The scale showed good overall reliability, with an internal consistency coefficient of α = 0.84, an average retest coefficient of rho = 0.76, and a Spearman-Brown coefficient of validity of 0.81. Side effects were absent or mild in 64.2% of the patients, moderate in 31.6%, severe in 4.2%; 14% of the subjects considered their symptoms distressing. The most commonly reported side-effects were drowsiness, thirst, frequent urination, and dry mouth. Women reported more side effects than men, and patients not in a relationship reported significantly fewer side effects than patients in a relationship. Results indicate a weak positive correlation (rho = 0.231; p = .025) between severity of side effects and clozapine dose. The GASS-C showed good psychometric characteristics in clinical population of patients on clozapine. In future studies, clozapine serum concentrations should be measured when using the GASS-C to monitor side effects.

Learning to experience side effects after antidepressant intake - Results from a randomized, controlled, double-blind study.

PubMed

Rheker, Julia; Winkler, Alexander; Doering, Bettina K; Rief, Winfried

2017-02-01

Side effects play a key role in patients' failure to take antidepressants. There is evidence that verbal suggestions and informed consent elicit expectations that can in turn trigger the occurrence of side effects. Prior experience or learning mechanisms are also assumed to contribute to the development of side effects, although their role has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we examined whether an antidepressant's side effects can be learned via Pavlovian conditioning. Participants (n = 39) were randomly allocated to one of two groups and were exposed to a classical conditioning procedure. During acquisition, 19 participants received amitriptyline and 20 participants received a placebo pill. Pills were taken for four nights together with a novel-tasting drink. After a washout phase, both groups received a placebo pill together with the novel-tasting drink (evocation). Side effects were assessed via the Generic Assessment of Side Effects Scale prior to acquisition (baseline), after acquisition, and after evocation. A score of antidepressant-specific side effects was calculated. Participants taking amitriptyline reported significantly more antidepressant-specific side effects after acquisition compared to both baseline and the placebo group. After evocation, participants who underwent the conditioning procedure with amitriptyline reported significantly more antidepressant-specific side effects than those who never received amitriptyline, even though both groups received a placebo. Our results indicate that antidepressant side effects can be learned using a conditioning paradigm and evoked via a placebo pill when applied with the same contextual factors as the verum.

The association of HIV/AIDS treatment side effects with health status, work productivity, and resource use.

PubMed

daCosta DiBonaventura, Marco; Gupta, Shaloo; Cho, Michelle; Mrus, Joseph

2012-01-01

Due to stable incidence and improved survival rates, there are an increasing number of patients living with HIV/AIDS in the USA. Although highly effective, current antiretroviral therapies are associated with a variety of side effects. The role side effects play on health outcomes has not been fully examined. The current study assessed the association of medication side effects with (1) self-assessed health status; (2) work productivity and activity impairment; and (3) healthcare resource utilization. Data were from a cross-sectional patient-reported survey fielded in the USA using a dual methodology of Internet and paper questionnaires. A total of 953 patients living with HIV/AIDS who were currently taking a medication for their condition were included in the analyses. The most frequent side effects reported by patients were fatigue (70.72%), diarrhea (62.96%), insomnia (58.97%), dizziness (52.78%), neuropathy (52.68%), joint pain (52.36%), nausea (51.63%), and abdominal pain (50.37%). The presence of each side effect was associated with reduced self-assessed health status, increased productivity loss, increased activity impairment, and increased healthcare resource use. Controlling for CD4 cell counts in regression modeling did little to diminish the impact of side effects. Although not all side effects were associated with all outcomes, every side effect was associated with worse health status, some measure of increased work productivity loss, and/or some measure of increased healthcare resource use. Patients are living longer with HIV and, therefore, spending a greater length of time on treatment. The results of the current study suggest that many of these patients are experiencing a wide array of side effects from these therapies. These side effects have demonstrated a profound association with self-assessed health, work productivity, and healthcare resource use. Improved management of these side effects or development of treatments with a better side effect profile may have a substantial humanistic and economic benefit.

Correlates of video games playing among adolescents in an Islamic country

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background No study has ever explored the prevalence and correlates of video game playing among children in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This study describes patterns and correlates of excessive video game use in a random sample of middle-school students in Iran. Specifically, we examine the relationship between video game playing and psychological well-being, aggressive behaviors, and adolescents' perceived threat of video-computer game playing. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed with a random sample of 444 adolescents recruited from eight middle schools. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire covered socio-demographics, video gaming behaviors, mental health status, self-reported aggressive behaviors, and perceived side effects of video game playing. Results Overall, participants spent an average of 6.3 hours per week playing video games. Moreover, 47% of participants reported that they had played one or more intensely violent games. Non-gamers reported suffering poorer mental health compared to excessive gamers. Both non-gamers and excessive gamers overall reported suffering poorer mental health compared to low or moderate players. Participants who initiated gaming at younger ages were more likely to score poorer in mental health measures. Participants' self-reported aggressive behaviors were associated with length of gaming. Boys, but not girls, who reported playing video games excessively showed more aggressive behaviors. A multiple binary logistic regression shows that when controlling for other variables, older students, those who perceived less serious side effects of video gaming, and those who have personal computers, were more likely to report that they had played video games excessively. Conclusion Our data show a curvilinear relationship between video game playing and mental health outcomes, with "moderate" gamers faring best and "excessive" gamers showing mild increases in problematic behaviors. Interestingly, "non-gamers" clearly show the worst outcomes. Therefore, both children and parents of non-game players should be updated about the positive impact of moderate video gaming. Educational interventions should also be designed to educate adolescents and their parents of the possible harmful impact of excessive video game playing on their health and psychosocial functioning. PMID:20507610

Correlates of video games playing among adolescents in an Islamic country.

PubMed

Allahverdipour, Hamid; Bazargan, Mohsen; Farhadinasab, Abdollah; Moeini, Babak

2010-05-27

No study has ever explored the prevalence and correlates of video game playing among children in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This study describes patterns and correlates of excessive video game use in a random sample of middle-school students in Iran. Specifically, we examine the relationship between video game playing and psychological well-being, aggressive behaviors, and adolescents' perceived threat of video-computer game playing. This cross-sectional study was performed with a random sample of 444 adolescents recruited from eight middle schools. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire covered socio-demographics, video gaming behaviors, mental health status, self-reported aggressive behaviors, and perceived side effects of video game playing. Overall, participants spent an average of 6.3 hours per week playing video games. Moreover, 47% of participants reported that they had played one or more intensely violent games. Non-gamers reported suffering poorer mental health compared to excessive gamers. Both non-gamers and excessive gamers overall reported suffering poorer mental health compared to low or moderate players. Participants who initiated gaming at younger ages were more likely to score poorer in mental health measures. Participants' self-reported aggressive behaviors were associated with length of gaming. Boys, but not girls, who reported playing video games excessively showed more aggressive behaviors. A multiple binary logistic regression shows that when controlling for other variables, older students, those who perceived less serious side effects of video gaming, and those who have personal computers, were more likely to report that they had played video games excessively. Our data show a curvilinear relationship between video game playing and mental health outcomes, with "moderate" gamers faring best and "excessive" gamers showing mild increases in problematic behaviors. Interestingly, "non-gamers" clearly show the worst outcomes. Therefore, both children and parents of non-game players should be updated about the positive impact of moderate video gaming. Educational interventions should also be designed to educate adolescents and their parents of the possible harmful impact of excessive video game playing on their health and psychosocial functioning.

Decreasing the Burden of Side Effects Through Positive Message Framing: an Experimental Proof-of-Concept Study.

PubMed

Wilhelm, Marcel; Rief, Winfried; Doering, Bettina K

2018-05-21

Informing patients about treatment side effects increases the occurrence and intensity of side effects. Since the obligatory informed consent procedure in drug treatments requires transparency and nocebo research suggests that the informed consent of a drug leads to an increased occurrence of the mentioned side effects, the aim of this proof of concept study was to determine the effect of two different framings of informed consent on the occurrence, intensity, and perceived threat of side effects. Healthy male participants (n = 80) were randomized to one of two framing groups. The positive framing group was informed that the common side effect dizziness was a sign that the drug had started to work, while the neutral framing group was told that dizziness is an unpleasant but well-known side effect. Side effects were measured after the administration of metoprolol, an antihypertensive agent. Post hoc moderator analyses investigated the effect of pre-existing negative beliefs about the general harm of medication on the framing manipulation. Metoprolol-specific drug-attributed side effects were rated significantly less threatening in the positive framing group. The between-group effect size (Cohen's d) was small (d = 0.38, p = 0.049). Exploratory post hoc moderator analyses suggest that participants who believed that medication is a source of harmful effects benefited from positive framing, compared to neutral framing of drug-attributed side effects. Positive framing was partially effective in decreasing specific side effect measures, particularly among participants with a tendency to believe that medicine is harmful. Informed consent procedures should therefore be personalized, focusing on patients with negative treatment beliefs.

Combined use of alcohol and energy drinks: Dose relationship with self-reported physiological stimulation and sedation side effects.

PubMed

Droste, Nicolas; Peacock, Amy; Bruno, Raimondo; Pennay, Amy; Zinkiewicz, Lucy; Lubman, Dan I; Miller, Peter

2017-08-01

Negative physiological stimulation and sedation side effects are experienced by a significant proportion of consumers who consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED). Few studies have compared the frequency of side effects between sessions of AmED and sessions of alcohol only within-subject, and none have explored a dose relationship. Explore the occurrence of self-reported physiological stimulant and sedative side effects between sessions of AmED and alcohol only, and at varying ED dosage levels within AmED sessions. A convenience sample of 2953 residents of New South Wales, Australia completed an online survey. N=731 AmED users reported daily caffeine intake, typical alcohol and AmED consumption, and past 12-month experience of physiological stimulation and sedation side effects during AmED and alcohol only sessions. Within-subject analyses compared occurrence of side effects between session types. Hierarchical binary logistic regression analyses explored the association of ED dose during AmED sessions with the experience of physiological side effects. There were greater odds of most stimulant side effects, and lower odds of sedation side effects, during AmED sessions compared to alcohol only sessions. Compared to one ED, consumption of three or more EDs was significantly associated with the majority of both stimulant and alcohol intoxication side effects after controlling for demographics and consumption covariates. AmED is associated with perceived changes in physiological stimulant and sedation side effects of alcohol. Experience of side effects is positively associated with ED dosage. Future research should account for varying ED dosage, and reflect real world consumption levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of language in suicide reporting: Investigating the influence of problematic suicide referents.

PubMed

Arendt, Florian; Scherr, Sebastian; Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas; Till, Benedikt

2018-02-14

Although suicide experts recommend using neutral suicide referents in news media reporting, this recommendation has not yet been tested empirically. This recommendation, based on the empirically yet untested assumption that problematic suicide referents carry meaning that is inappropriate from a prevention perspective, may lead to a different perspective on suicide, termed "framing effects." For example, in German-speaking countries, the neutral term Suizid (suicide) is recommended. Conversely, Freitod ("free death") and Selbstmord ("self-murder") convey associative meanings related to problematic concepts such as free will (Freitod) and crime/murder (Selbstmord), and are therefore not recommended. Using a web-based randomized controlled trial focused on German speakers (N = 451), we tested whether the news media's use of Suizid, Selbstmord, and Freitod elicits framing effects. Participants read identical news reports about suicide. Only the specific suicide referents varied depending on the experimental condition. Post-reading, participants wrote short summaries of the news reports, completed a word-fragment completion test and a questionnaire targeting suicide-related attitudes. We found that the news frame primed some frame-related concepts in the memory and also increased frame-related word choice. Importantly, we found that participants reading the free will-related Freitod frame showed greater attitudinal support for suicide among individuals suffering from incurable diseases. This study highlights the importance of how the news media write about suicide and supports the language recommendations put forward by suicide experts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sexual Perfectionism in Women: Not as Simple as Adaptive or Maladaptive.

PubMed

Kluck, Annette S; Zhuzha, Kseniya; Hughes, Kelly

2016-11-01

According to research and theory, the construct of perfectionism may apply to specific life domains, including being a perfect sexual partner. We extended the research on sexual perfectionism (SP) by examining the relationships between its various dimensions (i.e., self-directed, partner-directed, socially prescribed, partner-prescribed) and communication about sex, sexual functioning, and appearance self-consciousness during sex. Women (N = 208) of ages 19-50 were recruited online to respond to the Multidimensional Sexual Perfectionism Questionnaire and measures of communication about sex, sexual functioning, and physical appearance self-consciousness during sex. Dimensions of SP demonstrated a mixed pattern of relationships with measures of adaptive functioning. Partner-prescribed SP was related to greater appearance self-consciousness during sex, indicating an unfavorable role of this dimension of SP. An indirect effect of socially prescribed and partner-prescribed SP on sexual functioning through poor dyadic communication about sex and greater appearance self-consciousness was also found. Self-directed SP was less clearly problematic and uniquely related to better dyadic communication, whereas partner-directed SP was uniquely related to fewer concerns about the body appearance during sex. In conclusion, with respect to personal functioning, higher standards directed towards sexual partners may be less problematic but perceptions that romantic partners expect one to be a perfect sexual partner may have deleterious effects. Overall, SP may relate to sexual experiences of women beyond the college-age group with some aspects of SP being more problematic than others.

The problem of infertility in high fertility populations: Meanings, consequences and coping mechanisms in two Nigerian communities

PubMed Central

Hollos, Marida; Larsen, Ulla; Obono, Oka; Whitehouse, Bruce

2014-01-01

This paper examines how socio-economic contexts shape local meanings of infertility, how the prevalence of infertility affects these meanings, and how the above affect community responses, life experiences and infertility treatment-seeking behaviors in two African communities. The paper is based on interdisciplinary research conducted among the Ijo and the Yakurr people of southern Nigeria that included a survey of approximately 100 infertile women and a matching sample of 100 fertile women, as well as in-depth ethnographic interviews with infertile and fertile women in two communities: Amakiri in Delta State and Lopon in Cross River State. In-depth interview results show that female infertility is more problematic among the Ijo in Amakiri, where kinship is patrilineal (traced through the father's side), than among the Yakurr in Lopon, where kinship is double unilineal (traced through both parents). Childless women in Ijo society are not only disadvantaged economically but are prevented from attaining full adult womanhood. They therefore leave the community more often than other members. In Lopon there is also a strong preoccupation with fertility as a central fact of life, but infertile women receive support from maternal kin as well as voluntary associations serving as support groups. Our survey data confirm that there are significant differences between the life experiences of infertile and fertile women and between the infertile women of the two communities. The overall findings indicate that while there are variations in the extent to which infertility is considered problematic, the necessity for a woman to have a child remains basic in this region. Motherhood continues to define an individual woman's treatment in the community, her self-respect and her understanding of womanhood. PMID:19356835

An Investigation of Biases and Framing Effects for Risk Analysis: An Information Technology Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Stuart A.

2012-01-01

An elusive and problematic theme of risk management has been managers' ability to effectively measure information technology (IT) risk in terms of degree of impact and probability of occurrence. The background of this problem delves deep into the rational understanding of probability, expected value, economic behavior, and subjective judgment.…

The Effect of Using Item Parameters Calibrated from Paper Administrations in Computer Adaptive Test Administrations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pommerich, Mary

2007-01-01

Computer administered tests are becoming increasingly prevalent as computer technology becomes more readily available on a large scale. For testing programs that utilize both computer and paper administrations, mode effects are problematic in that they can result in examinee scores that are artificially inflated or deflated. As such, researchers…

Treatment factors affecting longitudinal quality of life in new onset pediatric epilepsy.

PubMed

Modi, Avani C; Ingerski, Lisa M; Rausch, Joseph R; Glauser, Tracy A

2011-05-01

Recognizing the importance of patient-reported outcomes, this longitudinal, prospective study examined: Changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) over seven months following antiepileptic drug (AED) initiation and the relationship of seizures, AED side-effects, and AED type to HRQOL. Parents of 124 children with newly diagnosed epilepsy completed measures of HRQOL and side-effects at each clinic visit. Treatment information was also collected. HRQOL remained stable over time; however, seizures and AED side-effects significantly affected multiple HRQOL domains. Higher seizure activity was associated with decreased Physical HRQOL. Side-effects were negatively associated with all HRQOL domains. Children taking carbamazepine who experienced higher side-effects early in therapy demonstrated declining emotional functioning compared to children experiencing no/some side-effects. AED side-effects, AED type, and seizure frequency were associated with longitudinal HRQOL in children with newly-diagnosed epilepsy. Routine assessment of AED side-effects and HRQOL may be useful for clinical decision making.

Problematic internet usage in US college students: a pilot study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Internet addiction among US college students remains a concern, but robust estimates of its prevalence are lacking. Methods We conducted a pilot survey of 307 college students at two US universities. Participants completed the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) as well as the Patient Health Questionnaire. Both are validated measures of problematic Internet usage and depression, respectively. We assessed the association between problematic Internet usage and moderate to severe depression using a modified Poisson regression approach. In addition, we examined the associations between individual items in the IAT and depression. Results A total of 224 eligible respondents completed the survey (73% response rate). Overall, 4% of students scored in the occasionally problematic or addicted range on the IAT, and 12% had moderate to severe depression. Endorsement of individual problematic usage items ranged from 1% to 70%. In the regression analysis, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with several individual items. Relative risk could not be estimated for three of the twenty items because of small cell sizes. Of the remaining 17 items, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with 13 of them, and three others had P values less than 0.10. There was also a significant association between problematic Internet usage overall and moderate to severe depression (relative risk 24.07, 95% confidence interval 3.95 to 146.69; P = 0.001). Conclusion The prevalence of problematic Internet usage among US college students is a cause for concern, and potentially requires intervention and treatment amongst the most vulnerable groups. The prevalence reported in this study is lower than that which has been reported in other studies, however the at-risk population is very high and preventative measures are also recommended. PMID:21696582

Identifying Patients With Problematic Drug Use in the Emergency Department: Results of a Multisite Study

PubMed Central

Konstantopoulos, Wendy L. Macias; Dreifuss, Jessica A.; McDermott, Katherine A.; Parry, Blair Alden; Howell, Melissa L.; Mandler, Raul N.; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M.; Bogenschutz, Michael P.; Weiss, Roger D.

2014-01-01

Study objective Drug-related emergency department (ED) visits have steadily increased, with substance users relying heavily on the ED for medical care. The present study aims to identify clinical correlates of problematic drug use that would facilitate identification of ED patients in need of substance use treatment. Methods Using previously validated tests, 15,224 adult ED patients across 6 academic institutions were prescreened for drug use as part of a large randomized prospective trial. Data for 3,240 participants who reported drug use in the past 30 days were included. Self-reported variables related to demographics, substance use, and ED visit were examined to determine their correlative value for problematic drug use. Results Of the 3,240 patients, 2,084 (64.3%) met criteria for problematic drug use (Drug Abuse Screening Test score ≥3). Age greater than or equal to 30 years, tobacco smoking, daily or binge alcohol drinking, daily drug use, primary noncannabis drug use, resource-intense ED triage level, and perceived drug-relatedness of ED visit were highly correlated with problematic drug use. Among primary cannabis users, correlates of problematic drug use were age younger than 30 years, tobacco smoking, binge drinking, daily drug use, and perceived relatedness of the ED visit to drug use. Conclusion Clinical correlates of drug use problems may assist the identification of ED patients who would benefit from comprehensive screening, intervention, and referral to treatment. A clinical decision rule is proposed. The correlation between problematic drug use and resource-intense ED triage levels suggests that ED-based efforts to reduce the unmet need for substance use treatment may help decrease overall health care costs. PMID:24999283

Problematic Internet Usage and Immune Function.

PubMed

Reed, Phil; Vile, Rebecca; Osborne, Lisa A; Romano, Michela; Truzoli, Roberto

2015-01-01

Problematic internet use has been associated with a variety of psychological comorbidities, but it relationship with physical illness has not received the same degree of investigation. The current study surveyed 505 participants online, and asked about their levels of problematic internet usage (Internet Addiction Test), depression and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales), social isolation (UCLA Loneliness Questionnaire), sleep problems (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and their current health - General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), and the Immune Function Questionnaire. The results demonstrated that around 30% of the sample displayed mild or worse levels of internet addiction, as measured by the IAT. Although there were differences in the purposes for which males and females used the internet, there were no differences in terms of levels of problematic usage between genders. The internet problems were strongly related to all of the other psychological variables such as depression, anxiety, social-isolation, and sleep problems. Internet addiction was also associated with reduced self-reported immune function, but not with the measure of general health (GHQ-28). This relationship between problematic internet use and reduced immune function was found to be independent of the impact of the co-morbidities. It is suggested that the negative relationship between level of problematic internet use and immune function may be mediated by levels of stress produced by such internet use, and subsequent sympathetic nervous activity, which related to immune-supressants, such as cortisol.

Mediating processes between stress and problematic marijuana use.

PubMed

Ketcherside, Ariel; Filbey, Francesca M

2015-06-01

The literature widely reports that stress is associated with marijuana use, yet, to date, the path from stress to marijuana-related problems has not been tested. In this study, we evaluated whether negative affect mediates the relationship between stress and marijuana use. To that end, we tested models to determine mediators between problems with marijuana use (via Marijuana Problem Scale), stress (via Early Life Stress Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale), and negative affect (via Beck Depression Inventory; Beck Anxiety Inventory) in 157 current heavy marijuana users. Mediation tests and bootstrap confidence intervals were carried out via the "Mediation" package in R. Depression and anxiety scores both significantly mediated the relationship between perceived stress and problematic marijuana use. Only depression significantly mediated the relationship between early life stress and problematic marijuana use. Early life stress, perceived stress and problematic marijuana use were significant only as independent variables and dependent variables. These findings demonstrate that (1) depression mediated both early life stress and perceived stress, and problematic marijuana use, and, (2) anxiety mediated perceived stress and problematic marijuana use. This mediation analysis represents a strong first step toward understanding the relationship between these variables; however, longitudinal studies are needed to determine causality between these variables. To conclude, addressing concomitant depression and anxiety in those who report either perceived stress or early life stress is important for the prevention of cannabis use disorders. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Problematic Internet Usage and Immune Function

PubMed Central

Reed, Phil; Vile, Rebecca; Osborne, Lisa A.; Romano, Michela; Truzoli, Roberto

2015-01-01

Problematic internet use has been associated with a variety of psychological comorbidities, but it relationship with physical illness has not received the same degree of investigation. The current study surveyed 505 participants online, and asked about their levels of problematic internet usage (Internet Addiction Test), depression and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales), social isolation (UCLA Loneliness Questionnaire), sleep problems (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and their current health – General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), and the Immune Function Questionnaire. The results demonstrated that around 30% of the sample displayed mild or worse levels of internet addiction, as measured by the IAT. Although there were differences in the purposes for which males and females used the internet, there were no differences in terms of levels of problematic usage between genders. The internet problems were strongly related to all of the other psychological variables such as depression, anxiety, social-isolation, and sleep problems. Internet addiction was also associated with reduced self-reported immune function, but not with the measure of general health (GHQ-28). This relationship between problematic internet use and reduced immune function was found to be independent of the impact of the co-morbidities. It is suggested that the negative relationship between level of problematic internet use and immune function may be mediated by levels of stress produced by such internet use, and subsequent sympathetic nervous activity, which related to immune-supressants, such as cortisol. PMID:26244339

[Treatment side effects and compliance in patients with depression].

PubMed

Petrova, N N; Kucher, E O

2012-01-01

The impact of treatment side-effects on the compliance was studied in 85 depressive patients with different mental disorders - recurrent depressive disorder, postschizophrenic depression and organic affective disorder. The comparison of objective and subjective evaluations of compliance and a comparative analysis of the level of compliance, with its dependence on the treatment specifics, in different diseases were done. A significant role of efficacy and treatment side-effects was identified. The levels of "mental" and "autonomous" side-effects were highest in the treatment of depression: patients with postschizophrenic depression had the highest risk in respect of maintenance treatment; patients with recurrent depressive disorder and organic (affective) disorder were more tolerant to the treatment side-effects and their treatment, including the maintenance therapy, was rather effective. The compliance of all patients with depression was negatively correlated with the severity of side-effects of pharmacotherapy. The greatest side-effects and the lowest level of compliance were observed in the complex treatment with antidepressants and atypical neuroleptics. The effect of side-effects on the compliance was dependent on their severity and subjective tolerability and, to a lesser extent, on the amount of drugs.

Deuterated (d6)-dextromethorphan elicits antidepressant-like effects in mice.

PubMed

Nguyen, Linda; Scandinaro, Anna L; Matsumoto, Rae R

2017-10-01

The over-the-counter antitussive dextromethorphan (DM) may have rapid antidepressant actions based on its overlapping pharmacology with ketamine, which has shown fast antidepressant effects but whose widespread use remains limited by problematic side effects. We have previously shown that DM produces antidepressant-like effects in the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) that are mediated in part through α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic (AMPA) and sigma-1 receptors, two protein targets associated with a faster onset of antidepressant efficacy. To utilize DM clinically, however, a major challenge that must be addressed is its rapid first-pass metabolism. Two strategies to inhibit metabolism of DM and maintain stable therapeutic blood levels are 1) chemically modifying DM and 2) adding quinidine, an inhibitor of the primary metabolizer of DM, the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 enzyme. The purpose of this study was to determine if modified DM (deuterated (d6)-DM) elicits antidepressant-like effects and if AMPA and sigma-1 receptors are involved. Furthermore, d6-DM was tested in conjunction with quinidine to determine if further slowing the metabolism of d6-DM affects its antidepressant-like actions. In the FST and TST, d6-DM produced antidepressant-like effects. Upon further investigation in the FST, the most validated animal model for predicting antidepressant efficacy, d6-DM produced antidepressant-like effects both in the absence and presence of quinidine. However, pretreatment with neither an AMPA receptor antagonist (NBQX) nor sigma-1 receptor antagonists (BD1063, BD1047) significantly attenuated the antidepressant-like effects. The data suggest d6-DM has antidepressant-like effects, though it may be recruiting different molecular targets and/or acting through a different mix or ratio of metabolites from regular DM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Considering Apical Scotomas, Confusion, and Diplopia When Prescribing Prisms for Homonymous Hemianopia

PubMed Central

Apfelbaum, Henry L.; Ross, Nicole C.; Bowers, Alex R.; Peli, Eli

2013-01-01

Purpose: While prisms are commonly prescribed for homonymous hemianopia to extend or expand the visual field, they cause potentially troubling visual side effects, including nonveridical location of perceived images, diplopia, and visual confusion. In addition, the field behind a prism at its apex is lost to an apical scotoma equal in magnitude to the amount of prism shift. The perceptual consequences of apical scotomas and the other effects of various designs were examined to consider parameters and designs that can mitigate the impact of these effects. Methods: Various configurations of sector and peripheral prisms were analyzed, in various directions of gaze, and their visual effects were illustrated using simulated perimetry. A novel “percept” diagram was developed that yielded insights into the patient's view through the prisms. The predictions were verified perimetrically with patients. Results: The diagrams distinguish between potentially beneficial field expansion via visual confusion and the pericentrally disturbing and useless effect of diplopia, and their relationship to prism power and gaze direction. They also illustrate the nonexpanding substitution of field segments of some popular prism designs. Conclusions: Yoked sector prisms have no effect at primary gaze or when gaze is directed toward the seeing hemifield, and they introduce pericentral field loss when gaze is shifted into them. When fitted unilaterally, sector prisms also have an effect only when the gaze is directed into the prism and may cause a pericentral scotoma and/or central diplopia. Peripheral prisms are effective at essentially all gaze angles. Since gaze is not directed into them, they avoid problematic pericentral effects. We derive useful recommendations for prism power and position parameters, including novel ways of fitting prisms asymmetrically. Translational Relevance: Clinicians will find these novel diagrams, diagramming techniques, and analyses valuable when prescribing prismatic aids for hemianopia and when designing new prism devices for patients with various types of field loss. PMID:24049719

The development of the Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (POGQ).

PubMed

Demetrovics, Zsolt; Urbán, Róbert; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Farkas, Judit; Griffiths, Mark D; Pápay, Orsolya; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi; Felvinczi, Katalin; Oláh, Attila

2012-01-01

Online gaming has become increasingly popular. However, this has led to concerns that these games might induce serious problems and/or lead to dependence for a minority of players. The aim of this study was to uncover and operationalize the components of problematic online gaming. A total of 3415 gamers (90% males; mean age 21 years), were recruited through online gaming websites. A combined method of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied. Latent profile analysis was applied to identify persons at-risk. EFA revealed a six-factor structure in the background of problematic online gaming that was also confirmed by a CFA. For the assessment of the identified six dimensions--preoccupation, overuse, immersion, social isolation, interpersonal conflicts, and withdrawal--the 18-item Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (POGQ) proved to be exceedingly suitable. Based on the latent profile analysis, 3.4% of the gamer population was considered to be at high risk, while another 15.2% was moderately problematic. The POGQ seems to be an adequate measurement tool for the differentiated assessment of gaming related problems on six subscales.

Problematic video game use: estimated prevalence and associations with mental and physical health.

PubMed

Mentzoni, Rune Aune; Brunborg, Geir Scott; Molde, Helge; Myrseth, Helga; Skouverøe, Knut Joachim Mår; Hetland, Jørn; Pallesen, Ståle

2011-10-01

A nationwide survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence of video game addiction and problematic video game use and their association with physical and mental health. An initial sample comprising 2,500 individuals was randomly selected from the Norwegian National Registry. A total of 816 (34.0 percent) individuals completed and returned the questionnaire. The majority (56.3 percent) of respondents used video games on a regular basis. The prevalence of video game addiction was estimated to be 0.6 percent, with problematic use of video games reported by 4.1 percent of the sample. Gender (male) and age group (young) were strong predictors for problematic use of video games. A higher proportion of high frequency compared with low frequency players preferred massively multiplayer online role-playing games, although the majority of high frequency players preferred other game types. Problematic use of video games was associated with lower scores on life satisfaction and with elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Video game use was not associated with reported amount of physical exercise.

[Discovery-based teaching and learning strategies in health: problematization and problem-based learning].

PubMed

Cyrino, Eliana Goldfarb; Toralles-Pereira, Maria Lúcia

2004-01-01

Considering the changes in teaching in the health field and the demand for new ways of dealing with knowledge in higher learning, the article discusses two innovative methodological approaches: problem-based learning (PBL) and problematization. Describing the two methods' theoretical roots, the article attempts to identify their main foundations. As distinct proposals, both contribute to a review of the teaching and learning process: problematization, focused on knowledge construction in the context of the formation of a critical awareness; PBL, focused on cognitive aspects in the construction of concepts and appropriation of basic mechanisms in science. Both problematization and PBL lead to breaks with the traditional way of teaching and learning, stimulating participatory management by actors in the experience and reorganization of the relationship between theory and practice. The critique of each proposal's possibilities and limits using the analysis of their theoretical and methodological foundations leads us to conclude that pedagogical experiences based on PBL and/or problematization can represent an innovative trend in the context of health education, fostering breaks and more sweeping changes.

Validation of a new scale for measuring problematic internet use: implications for pre-employment screening.

PubMed

Davis, Richard A; Flett, Gordon L; Besser, Avi

2002-08-01

The current study introduced a theory-driven, multidimensional measure of problematic Internet use: the Online Cognition Scale (OCS). Undergraduate students (n = 211) in an industrial/organizational psychology course completed the OCS, along with measures of procrastination, rejection sensitivity, loneliness, depression, and impulsivity. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that problematic Internet use consists of four dimensions: diminished impulse control, loneliness/depression, social comfort, and distraction. As hypothesized, the OCS predicted all of the study variables in the expected directions. Representing a departure from previous research in this area, the current article focused on procrastination, impulsivity, and social rejection as key elements of problematic Internet use. Furthermore, interactive applications (e.g., chat) were most related to problematic Internet use, and scores on the OCS predicted being reprimanded at school or work for inappropriate Internet use. As a result, the utility of the OCS for both clinical assessment of Internet addiction and as an organizational preemployment screening measure to identify potential employees who are likely to abuse the Internet in the workplace (also known as "cyberslacking") were discussed.

Family Transition, Stress, and Support: Impacts on Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newberger, Eli H.

Literature on the American family that is pertinent to pediatrics is reviewed. Family characteristics considered include fertility, family structure, divorce, maternal employment and child care arrangements, family wealth and poverty, governmental assistance, and adolescent sexuality. Other topics of discussion include problematic effects of…

Application of the Shiono and Knight Method in asymmetric compound channels with different side slopes of the internal wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alawadi, Wisam; Al-Rekabi, Wisam S.; Al-Aboodi, Ali H.

2018-03-01

The Shiono and Knight Method (SKM) is widely used to predict the lateral distribution of depth-averaged velocity and boundary shear stress for flows in compound channels. Three calibrating coefficients need to be estimated for applying the SKM, namely eddy viscosity coefficient ( λ), friction factor ( f) and secondary flow coefficient ( k). There are several tested methods which can satisfactorily be used to estimate λ, f. However, the calibration of secondary flow coefficients k to account for secondary flow effects correctly is still problematic. In this paper, the calibration of secondary flow coefficients is established by employing two approaches to estimate correct values of k for simulating asymmetric compound channel with different side slopes of the internal wall. The first approach is based on Abril and Knight (2004) who suggest fixed values for main channel and floodplain regions. In the second approach, the equations developed by Devi and Khatua (2017) that relate the variation of the secondary flow coefficients with the relative depth ( β) and width ratio ( α) are used. The results indicate that the calibration method developed by Devi and Khatua (2017) is a better choice for calibrating the secondary flow coefficients than using the first approach which assumes a fixed value of k for different flow depths. The results also indicate that the boundary condition based on the shear force continuity can successfully be used for simulating rectangular compound channels, while the continuity of depth-averaged velocity and its gradient is accepted boundary condition in simulations of trapezoidal compound channels. However, the SKM performance for predicting the boundary shear stress over the shear layer region may not be improved by only imposing the suitable calibrated values of secondary flow coefficients. This is because difficulties of modelling the complex interaction that develops between the flows in the main channel and on the floodplain in this region.

Exploring the associations between drug side-effects and therapeutic indications.

PubMed

Wang, Fei; Zhang, Ping; Cao, Nan; Hu, Jianying; Sorrentino, Robert

2014-10-01

Drug therapeutic indications and side-effects are both measurable patient phenotype changes in response to the treatment. Inferring potential drug therapeutic indications and identifying clinically interesting drug side-effects are both important and challenging tasks. Previous studies have utilized either chemical structures or protein targets to predict indications and side-effects. In this study, we compared drug therapeutic indication prediction using various information including chemical structures, protein targets and side-effects. We also compared drug side-effect prediction with various information sources including chemical structures, protein targets and therapeutic indication. Prediction performance based on 10-fold cross-validation demonstrates that drug side-effects and therapeutic indications are the most predictive information source for each other. In addition, we extracted 6706 statistically significant indication-side-effect associations from all known drug-disease and drug-side-effect relationships. We further developed a novel user interface that allows the user to interactively explore these associations in the form of a dynamic bipartitie graph. Many relationship pairs provide explicit repositioning hypotheses (e.g., drugs causing postural hypotension are potential candidates for hypertension) and clear adverse-reaction watch lists (e.g., drugs for heart failure possibly cause impotence). All data sets and highly correlated disease-side-effect relationships are available at http://astro.temple.edu/∼tua87106/druganalysis.html. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of the Tackling Teenage psychosexual training program for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Visser, Kirsten; Greaves-Lord, Kirstin; Tick, Nouchka T; Verhulst, Frank C; Maras, Athanasios; van der Vegt, Esther J M

2017-07-01

Previous research underscores the importance of psychosexual guidance for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Such guidance is provided in the Tackling Teenage Training (TTT) program, in which adolescents with ASD receive psycho-education and practice communicative skills regarding topics related to puberty, sexuality, and intimate relationships. This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of the TTT program on (a) cognitive outcomes (i.e. psychosexual knowledge, and insight in interpersonal boundaries) and (b) behavioral outcomes (i.e. skills needed for romantic relationships and problematic sexual behavior). A total of 189 cognitively able adolescents with ASD, aged 12-18 years old, were randomized to an intervention condition (n = 95) or a waiting-list control condition (n = 94). We assessed outcomes using self-reported as well as parent-reported questionnaires at baseline (T1), posttreatment (T2; after 6 months), and follow-up (T3; after 12 months). Linear mixed model analyses showed significant treatment effects for psychosexual knowledge and adequate insight in boundaries, both posttreatment and at follow-up. All adolescents increased significantly over time in their social responsiveness and decreased their problematic sexual behavior, irrespectively of condition. The TTT program was most effective for younger adolescents with ASD; following the TTT program resulted in higher psychosexual knowledge, and higher social functioning for these adolescents. The results of this study indicate that the TTT program is effective as a psycho-educational program to provide adolescents with ASD with the knowledge and insight they need to prepare themselves for a healthy psychosexual development. Further research is needed to investigate how this increased knowledge and insight can subsequently ameliorate improvements in romantic skills and prevent the development of problematic sexual behavior and victimization. © 2017 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Culling a clinical terminology: a systematic approach to identifying problematic content.

PubMed Central

Sable, J. H.; Nash, S. K.; Wang, A. Y.

2001-01-01

The College of American Pathologists and the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom are merging their respective clinical terminologies, SNOMED RT and Clinical Terms Version 3, into a new terminology, SNOMED CT. This requires mapping concept descriptions between the two existing terminologies. During the mapping process, many descriptions were identified as being potentially problematic. They require further review by the SNOMED editorial process before either (1) being incorporated into SNOMED CT, or (2) retired from active use. This article presents data on the concept descriptions that were identified as needing further review during the early phases of SNOMED CT development. Based on this work, we describe fourteen types of problematic terminology content. Identifying problematic terminology content can be approached in a systematic manner. PMID:11825253

Problematic cybersex: Conceptualization, assessment, and treatment.

PubMed

Wéry, A; Billieux, J

2017-01-01

Problematic involvement in cybersex is generally considered to be an excessive and uncontrolled use of online sexual activities associated with tangible negative outcomes and functional impairment. To date, there is no consensus in the literature regarding the conceptualization and labeling of this disorder, or of its diagnosis and assessment (e.g., screening questionnaires and diagnostic criteria). Through a systematic examination of the literature, we emphasize that problematic cybersex is an umbrella construct that regroups various types of distinct dysfunctional online behaviors. Despite a considerable increase in studies on problematic cybersex, no clear diagnostic guidelines exist for clinicians and researchers. Moreover, the factors involved in the development and maintenance of the disorder remain poorly examined, and the evidence regarding valid assessment and treatment are lacking. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring Problematic Mobile Phone Use: Development and Preliminary Psychometric Properties of the PUMP Scale

PubMed Central

Merlo, Lisa J.; Stone, Amanda M.; Bibbey, Alex

2013-01-01

This study aimed to develop and assess the psychometric properties of an English language measure of problematic mobile phone use. Participants were recruited from a university campus, health science center, and other public locations. The sample included 244 individuals (68.4% female) aged 18–75. Results supported a unidimensional factor structure for the 20-item self-report Problematic Use of Mobile Phones (PUMP) Scale. Internal consistency was excellent (α = 0.94). Strong correlations (r = .76, P < .001) were found between the PUMP Scale and an existing scale of cellular phone dependency that was validated in Asia, as well as items assessing frequency and intensity of mobile phone use. Results provide preliminary support for the use of the PUMP Scale to measure problematic use of mobile phones. PMID:24826371

Parental Expectation of Side Effects Following Vaccination Is Self-fulfilling: A Prospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Smith, Louise E; Weinman, John; Amlôt, Richard; Yiend, Jenny; Rubin, G James

2018-06-02

One of the major factors contributing to parental refusal of vaccinations is the perception that vaccines cause side effects. Although symptoms are commonly reported following vaccinations, their causes are not always straightforward. Although some may be directly attributable to the vaccine itself, others may reflect pre-existing or coincidental symptoms that are misattributed to the vaccine. To investigate psychological factors associated with parental report of side effects following vaccination with the child influenza vaccine, and parental intention to re-vaccinate one's child the following year. A prospective cohort study was run in primary care practices in London in the 2016-2017 influenza season (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02909855). Two hundred seventy parents from 14 practices completed a questionnaire before their child's vaccination. Follow-up questionnaires were completed 3 days after vaccination and one month after vaccination. Parental report of side effects and vaccination intention for the subsequent year were measured. Parental report of side effects was strongly associated with pre-vaccination expectation of side effects. Suggestions received from the media, National Health Service (NHS) vaccination leaflet, and health care workers, as well as uncertainty-related beliefs, perceived sensitivity of the child to medicines, pessimism, and anxiety were also associated with reporting side effects. Side effect report was associated with lower vaccination intention for the following influenza season. Side effect perception following vaccination is influenced by psychological factors, in particular expectations. Perceiving side effects reduces future vaccination intention. Future public health communications should aim to decrease unrealistic expectations of side effects to increase vaccine uptake.

Pharmacogenomic and clinical data link non-pharmacokinetic metabolic dysregulation to drug side effect pathogenesis

PubMed Central

Zielinski, Daniel C.; Filipp, Fabian V.; Bordbar, Aarash; Jensen, Kasper; Smith, Jeffrey W.; Herrgard, Markus J.; Mo, Monica L.; Palsson, Bernhard O.

2015-01-01

Drug side effects cause a significant clinical and economic burden. However, mechanisms of drug action underlying side effect pathogenesis remain largely unknown. Here, we integrate pharmacogenomic and clinical data with a human metabolic network and find that non-pharmacokinetic metabolic pathways dysregulated by drugs are linked to the development of side effects. We show such dysregulated metabolic pathways contain genes with sequence variants affecting side effect incidence, play established roles in pathophysiology, have significantly altered activity in corresponding diseases, are susceptible to metabolic inhibitors and are effective targets for therapeutic nutrient supplementation. Our results indicate that metabolic dysregulation represents a common mechanism underlying side effect pathogenesis that is distinct from the role of metabolism in drug clearance. We suggest that elucidating the relationships between the cellular response to drugs, genetic variation of patients and cell metabolism may help managing side effects by personalizing drug prescriptions and nutritional intervention strategies. PMID:26055627

Radiation Therapy Side Effects

Cancer.gov

Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells, it can also affect nearby healthy cells. Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. Learn more about possible side effects.

Influence of opioid-related side effects on disability, mood, and opioid misuse risk among patients with chronic pain in primary care.

PubMed

Jamison, Robert N; Dorado, Kathleen; Mei, Anna; Edwards, Robert R; Martel, Marc O

2017-03-01

There is increasing concern among primary care practitioners about the use of opioids for chronic pain, including their adverse effects, but little attention has been given to how reports of side effects from prescription medication can contribute to outcomes among patients with chronic pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of frequently reported side effects on mood, disability, and opioid misuse in patients with chronic pain prescribed opioids within primary care. Two hundred (N = 200) patients with chronic pain taking opioids for pain were recruited into the study. All patients completed baseline measures and a monthly side effects checklist once a month for 6 months. Patients were divided evenly based on a median split of the number of endorsed side effects over 6 months. The subjects repeated the baseline measures at the end of the study period. Over time, reports of medication side effects tended to decrease, but differences in frequency of reported side effects from baseline to follow-up (6-month time) were not significant, and the order of the frequency of the reported side effects remained similar. Patients who reported significant medication-related adverse effects reported significantly greater activity interference, negative affect, and catastrophizing compared with those with fewer side effects ( P < 0.01). In addition, those patients with pain who reported more side effects showed significantly higher scores on opioid misuse risk ( P < 0.001). This study demonstrates the important role of monitoring medication-related side effects among patients with chronic pain who are prescribed opioid medication for pain within primary care.

Influence of opioid-related side effects on disability, mood, and opioid misuse risk among patients with chronic pain in primary care

PubMed Central

Jamison, Robert N.; Dorado, Kathleen; Mei, Anna; Edwards, Robert R.; Martel, Marc O.

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: There is increasing concern among primary care practitioners about the use of opioids for chronic pain, including their adverse effects, but little attention has been given to how reports of side effects from prescription medication can contribute to outcomes among patients with chronic pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of frequently reported side effects on mood, disability, and opioid misuse in patients with chronic pain prescribed opioids within primary care. Methods: Two hundred (N = 200) patients with chronic pain taking opioids for pain were recruited into the study. All patients completed baseline measures and a monthly side effects checklist once a month for 6 months. Patients were divided evenly based on a median split of the number of endorsed side effects over 6 months. The subjects repeated the baseline measures at the end of the study period. Results: Over time, reports of medication side effects tended to decrease, but differences in frequency of reported side effects from baseline to follow-up (6-month time) were not significant, and the order of the frequency of the reported side effects remained similar. Patients who reported significant medication-related adverse effects reported significantly greater activity interference, negative affect, and catastrophizing compared with those with fewer side effects (P < 0.01). In addition, those patients with pain who reported more side effects showed significantly higher scores on opioid misuse risk (P < 0.001). Discussion: This study demonstrates the important role of monitoring medication-related side effects among patients with chronic pain who are prescribed opioid medication for pain within primary care. PMID:29392205

Side effects of low-dose pyridostigmine bromide are not related to cholinesterase inhibition.

PubMed

Cook, M R; Gerkovich, M M; Sastre, A; Graham, C

2001-12-01

Pretreatment with pyridostigmine bromide (PB) has become part of standard military procedures for protection against the effects of possible chemical warfare attack. The purpose of the work reported here was to quantify the type, intensity and frequency of side effects of low-dose PB, and to examine factors that predict the intensity and frequency of side effects. A double-blind, cross-over, placebo (PL)-controlled design was used. Of the 67 subjects, 33 received 30 mg PB every 8 h for 13 doses, and 34 received 60 mg on the same schedule. Order of PB and PL administration was counterbalanced. Overall, side effects were mild, even at the 60-mg dose level. More side effects were reported when volunteers were taking PB than when they were taking placebo. Women reported more symptoms than men. Neither cholinesterase inhibition nor plasma levels of PB predicted side effect scores during the PB week; the best predictor of side effect scores during the PB week was side effect scores during the PL week. PB is well tolerated by healthy young people, even when twice the recommended military dose is administered.

Problematic video game use scale: initial psychometric properties with psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents.

PubMed

Topor, David R; Swenson, Lance P; Liguori, Gina M; Spirito, Anthony; Lowenhaupt, Elizabeth A; Hunt, Jeffrey I

2011-12-01

Excessive video game use among youth has been a growing concern in the United States and elsewhere. The aims of this study are to establish validity of a video game measure in a large adolescent inpatient sample, identify clinical factors underlying problem video game use, and identify associations with measures of psychopathology. Three hundred eighty participants admitted to an adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit between November 2007 and March 2009 were administered a battery of self-report measures, including a questionnaire developed for this study that assessed reinforcers and consequences of past-year video game use (ie, Problematic Video Game Use Scale). Factor analysis was used to identify the underlying structure of behaviors associated with problem video game use. A factor analysis of the Problematic Video Game Use Scale indicated 2 primary factors. One was associated with engaging in problem behaviors that impaired the adolescent's functioning as a result of playing video games and one reflected the reinforcing effects of playing video games. Both factors were associated with measures of psychopathology, although associations were generally stronger for impairment in functioning than for reinforcing effects. Both factors were significantly correlated with self-reported daily video game use (P < .001). Two underlying factors emerged to account for problem video game playing: impairment in functioning and reinforcing effects. Initial evidence of the content validity of the video game measure was established. Findings highlight the importance of assessing video game use among an adolescent population, the factors associated with video game use, and associations with symptoms of psychopathology. Limitations include a common reporter for multiple measures and cross-sectional data that do not allow for causal links to be made. © Copyright 2011 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Effects of Sleep Quality on the Association between Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Mental Health Symptoms in Chinese College Students.

PubMed

Tao, Shuman; Wu, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Yukun; Zhang, Shichen; Tong, Shilu; Tao, Fangbiao

2017-02-14

Problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) is a risk factor for both adolescents' sleep quality and mental health. It is important to examine the potential negative health effects of PMPU exposure. This study aims to evaluate PMPU and its association with mental health in Chinese college students. Furthermore, we investigated how sleep quality influences this association. In 2013, we collected data regarding participants' PMPU, sleep quality, and mental health (psychopathological symptoms, anxiety, and depressive symptoms) by standardized questionnaires in 4747 college students. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to assess independent effects and interactions of PMPU and sleep quality with mental health. PMPU and poor sleep quality were observed in 28.2% and 9.8% of participants, respectively. Adjusted logistic regression models suggested independent associations of PMPU and sleep quality with mental health ( p < 0.001). Further regression analyses suggested a significant interaction between these measures ( p < 0.001). The study highlights that poor sleep quality may play a more significant role in increasing the risk of mental health problems in students with PMPU than in those without PMPU.

Factors affecting patient's perception of anticancer treatments side-effects: an observational study.

PubMed

Russo, Stefania; Cinausero, Marika; Gerratana, Lorenzo; Bozza, Claudia; Iacono, Donatella; Driol, Pamela; Deroma, Laura; Sottile, Roberta; Fasola, Gianpiero; Puglisi, Fabio

2014-02-01

Analysis of relative importance of side effects of anticancer therapy is extremely useful in the process of clinical decision making. There is evidence that patients' perception of the side effects of anticancer treatments changes over time. Aim of this study was to evaluate the cancer patients' perceptions of physical and non-physical side effects of contemporary anticancer therapy. Four hundred and sixty-four patients entered the study (153 men and 311 women). Participants were asked to rank their side effects in order of distress by using two sets of cards naming physical and non-physical effects, respectively. Influencing factors, including treatment and patient characteristics, were also analysed. Patients ranked the non-physical side effect 'Affects my family or partner' first. 'Constantly tired' and 'Loss of hair' were ranked second and third, respectively. Significant differences from previous studies on this topic emerged. In particular, 'Vomiting', a predominant concern in previous studies, almost disappeared, whereas 'Nausea' and 'Loss of hair' remained important side effects in the patients' perception. Interestingly, marital status was predominant in driving patients' perception, being associated with several side effects ('Constantly tired', 'Loss of appetite', 'Affects my work/Home duties', 'Affects my social activities', 'Infertility'). Other significant factors influencing patient's perception of side effects included age, disease characteristics and ongoing anticancer therapy. This study provided information on current status of patients' perceptions of side effects of anticancer treatment. These results could be used in pre-treatment patient education and counselling.

Perceived risk of tamoxifen side effects: a study of the use of absolute frequencies or frequency bands, with or without verbal descriptors.

PubMed

Knapp, Peter; Gardner, Peter H; Raynor, David K; Woolf, Elizabeth; McMillan, Brian

2010-05-01

To investigate the effectiveness of presenting medicine side effect risk information in different forms, including that proposed by UK guidelines [[1] Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Always read the leaflet-Getting the best information with every medicine. (Report of the Committee on Safety of Medicines Working Group on Patient Information). London: The Stationery Office, 2005.]. 134 Cancer Research UK (CRUK) website users were recruited via a 'pop-up'. Using a 2x2 factorial design, participants were randomly allocated to one of four conditions and asked to: imagine they had to take tamoxifen, estimate the risks of 4 side effects, and indicate a presentation mode preference. Those presented with absolute frequencies demonstrated greater accuracy in estimating 2 of 4 side effects, and of any side effect occurring, than those presented with frequency bands. Those presented with combined descriptors were more accurate at estimating the risk of pulmonary embolism than those presented with numeric descriptors only. Absolute frequencies outperform frequency bands when presenting side effect risk information. However, presenting such exact frequencies for every side effect may be much less digestible than all side effects listed under 5 frequency bands. Combined numerical and verbal descriptors may be better than numeric only descriptors when describing infrequent side effects. Information about side effects should be presented in ways that patients prefer, and which result in most accurate risk estimates. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medication Side Effects among People with Epilepsy Taking Phenobarbital in Zambia

PubMed Central

Elafros, Melissa A.; Bui, Esther; Birbeck, Gretchen L.

2014-01-01

Phenobarbital remains one of the most widely used antiepileptic drugs worldwide, yet there are limited data regarding side effects associated with its use in routine clinical care settings in low-income countries. Available data suggests that phenobarbital is as effective as other first-line drugs for treating tonic-clonic seizures, but side effect reports differ widely between high and low-income settings. A better understanding of phenobarbital side effect profile and severity in low-income settings is warranted given its role in efforts to decrease the epilepsy treatment gap. We used the Liverpool Adverse Events Profile (LEAP) to assess side effects in consecutive patients with epilepsy on phenobarbital seeking care in rural Zambia. Data regarding age, gender, medication dose, and medication adherence were also collected. T-tests and Spearman’s correlation coefficient were used to assess predictors of LEAP score and medication adherence. Thirty-five patients receiving a mean dose of 2.1 mg/kg/day (SD: 2.78 mg/kg/day) of phenobarbital were assessed. All participants reported at least one side effect in the previous four weeks with a median of 6 symptoms (IQR: 4–8) and a mean side effects score of 28/76 (SD: 5.38). Over half reported sleepiness and dizziness. Memory problems and depression were also common (both 46%). Total LAEP score was not associated with age (p=0.88), gender (p=0.17), or phenobarbital dose (p=0.13). Medication adherence was not associated with side effects total score (p=0.56). Rural Zambian adults taking phenobarbital at doses recommended by the WHO report a significant number of side effects. The most common side effects reported were similar to those reported in high-income countries. The significant burden of phenobarbital-associated side effects in this African cohort is in contrast to data from non-randomized clinical trials in China that reported phenobarbital to be well-tolerated with few side effects. Additional investigations regarding phenobarbital side effects in routine care in low income settings is warranted. PMID:25219354

Medication side effects among people with epilepsy taking phenobarbital in Zambia.

PubMed

Elafros, Melissa A; Bui, Esther; Birbeck, Gretchen L

2014-11-01

Phenobarbital remains one of the most widely used antiepileptic drugs worldwide, yet there are limited data regarding side effects associated with its use in routine clinical care settings in low-income countries. Available data suggests that phenobarbital is as effective as other first-line drugs for treating tonic-clonic seizures, but side effect reports differ widely between high and low-income settings. A better understanding of phenobarbital side effect profile and severity in low-income settings is warranted given its role in efforts to decrease the epilepsy treatment gap. We used the Liverpool adverse events profile (LEAP) to assess side effects in consecutive patients with epilepsy on phenobarbital seeking care in rural Zambia. Data regarding age, gender, medication dose, and medication adherence were also collected. T-tests and Spearman's correlation coefficient were used to assess predictors of LEAP score and medication adherence. Thirty-five patients receiving a mean dose of 2.1mg/kg/day (SD: 2.78 mg/kg/day) of phenobarbital were assessed. All participants reported at least one side effect in the previous four weeks with a median of 6 symptoms (IQR: 4-8) and a mean side effects score of 28/76 (SD: 5.38). Over half reported sleepiness and dizziness. Memory problems and depression were also common (both 46%). Total LAEP score was not associated with age (p=0.88), gender (p=0.17), or phenobarbital dose (p=0.13). Medication adherence was not associated with side effects total score (p=0.56). Rural Zambian adults taking phenobarbital at doses recommended by the World Health Organization report a significant number of side effects. The most common side effects reported were similar to those reported in high-income countries. The significant burden of phenobarbital-associated side effects in this African cohort is in contrast to data from non-randomized clinical trials in China that reported phenobarbital to be well-tolerated with few side effects. Additional investigations regarding phenobarbital side effects during routine care in low income settings is warranted. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What Matters: Quantity or Quality of Pornography Use? Psychological and Behavioral Factors of Seeking Treatment for Problematic Pornography Use.

PubMed

Gola, Mateusz; Lewczuk, Karol; Skorko, Maciej

2016-05-01

Pornography has become popular with Internet technology. For most people, pornography use (PU) is entertainment; for some, it can result in seeking treatment for out-of-control behavior. Previous studies have suggested that PU can influence sexual behaviors, but the direct relation between frequency of PU and treatment-seeking behaviors has not been examined. To investigate whether individuals seeking treatment as a consequence of their problematic PU do so because of their quantity of pornography consumption or because of more complex psychological and behavioral factors related to PU, such as the severity of negative symptoms associated with PU and/or subjective feeling of loss of control over one's behavior. A survey study was conducted of 569 heterosexual Caucasian men 18 to 68 years old, including 132 seeking treatment for problematic PU (referred by psychotherapists after their initial visit). The main outcome measures were self-reported PU, its negative symptoms, and actual treatment-seeking behavior. We tested models explaining sources of seeking treatment for problematic PU with negative symptoms associated with PU and additional factors (eg, onset and number of years of PU, religiosity, age, dyadic sexual activity, and relationship status). Seeking treatment was significantly, yet weakly, correlated solely with the frequency of PU (r = 0.21, P < .05) and this relation was significantly mediated by negative symptoms associated with PU (strong, nearly full mediation effect size; k(2) = 0.266). The relation between PU and negative symptoms was significant and mediated by self-reported subjective religiosity (weak, partial mediation; k(2) = 0.066) in those not seeking treatment. Onset of PU and age appeared to be insignificant. Our model was fairly fitted (comparative fit index = 0.989; root mean square error of approximation = 0.06; standardized root mean square residual = 0.035) and explained 43% of the variance in treatment-seeking behavior (1% was explained by frequency of PU and 42% was explained by negative symptoms associated with PU). Negative symptoms associated with PU more strongly predict seeking treatment than mere quantity of pornography consumption. Thus, treatment of problematic PU should address qualitative factors, rather than merely mitigating the frequency of the behavior, because frequency of PU might not be a core issue for all patients. Future diagnostic criteria for problematic PU should consider the complexity of this issue. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reducing Aversion to Side Effects in Preventive Medical Treatment Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waters, Erika A.; Weinstein, Neil D.; Colditz, Graham A.; Emmons, Karen M.

2007-01-01

Laypeople tend to be overly sensitive to side effects of treatments that prevent illness, possibly leading them to refuse beneficial therapies. This Internet-based study attempted to reduce such side effect aversion by adding graphic displays to the numerical risk probabilities. It also explored whether graphics reduce side effect aversion by…

Systematic identification of proteins that elicit drug side effects

PubMed Central

Kuhn, Michael; Al Banchaabouchi, Mumna; Campillos, Monica; Jensen, Lars Juhl; Gross, Cornelius; Gavin, Anne-Claude; Bork, Peer

2013-01-01

Side effect similarities of drugs have recently been employed to predict new drug targets, and networks of side effects and targets have been used to better understand the mechanism of action of drugs. Here, we report a large-scale analysis to systematically predict and characterize proteins that cause drug side effects. We integrated phenotypic data obtained during clinical trials with known drug–target relations to identify overrepresented protein–side effect combinations. Using independent data, we confirm that most of these overrepresentations point to proteins which, when perturbed, cause side effects. Of 1428 side effects studied, 732 were predicted to be predominantly caused by individual proteins, at least 137 of them backed by existing pharmacological or phenotypic data. We prove this concept in vivo by confirming our prediction that activation of the serotonin 7 receptor (HTR7) is responsible for hyperesthesia in mice, which, in turn, can be prevented by a drug that selectively inhibits HTR7. Taken together, we show that a large fraction of complex drug side effects are mediated by individual proteins and create a reference for such relations. PMID:23632385

Prediction of Central Nervous System Side Effects Through Drug Permeability to Blood-Brain Barrier and Recommendation Algorithm.

PubMed

Fan, Jun; Yang, Jing; Jiang, Zhenran

2018-04-01

Drug side effects are one of the public health concerns. Using powerful machine-learning methods to predict potential side effects before the drugs reach the clinical stages is of great importance to reduce time consumption and protect the security of patients. Recently, researchers have proved that the central nervous system (CNS) side effects of a drug are closely related to its permeability to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Inspired by this, we proposed an extended neighborhood-based recommendation method to predict CNS side effects using drug permeability to the BBB and other known features of drug. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to predict CNS side effects considering drug permeability to the BBB. Computational experiments demonstrated that drug permeability to the BBB is an important factor in CNS side effects prediction. Moreover, we built an ensemble recommendation model and obtained higher AUC score (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) and AUPR score (area under the precision-recall curve) on the data set of CNS side effects by integrating various features of drug.

VACUUM DISTILLATION COUPLED WITH GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY/MASS SPECTROMETRY FOR THE ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES

EPA Science Inventory

A procedure is presented that uses a vacuum distillation/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry system for analysis of problematic matrices of volatile organic compounds. The procedure compensates for matrix effects and provides both analytical results and confidence intervals from...

Character Education--A Joint Responsibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brannon, Diana

2008-01-01

Young children's beliefs about what is right and wrong traditionally have been strongly influenced by their families. However, today children often come to school with problematic behaviors and attitudes. Character education has become a necessity. Character education programs have a positive effect on achievement, classroom behaviors, and…

Does acceptance of power distance influence propensities for problematic Internet use? Evidence from a cross-cultural study.

PubMed

Montag, Christian; Duke, Éilish; Sha, Peng; Zhou, Min; Sindermann, Cornelia; Li, Mei

2016-12-01

Several studies suggest that Asian countries are particularly afflicted by problematic Internet use (PIU). The present study investigates whether individual differences in the acceptance of power distance can be linked to overuse of the Internet in Germany and in China. Power distance has been discussed as an essential dimension on which Asian and Western societies differ. In the present study, we investigate two large non-clinical samples from Germany (n = 297) and China (n = 556) to address this question. Both in Germany and in China, high acceptance of power distance was positively associated with PIU. These effects were more pronounced in China compared with Germany. Moreover, the observed effects were stronger in males compared with females. Clearly, these findings are just a starting point and need to be replicated in the future. Clinical populations and a further important difference variable - collectivism - also merit consideration in future work. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Life satisfaction and problematic Internet use: Evidence for gender specific effects.

PubMed

Lachmann, Bernd; Sariyska, Rayna; Kannen, Christopher; Cooper, Andrew; Montag, Christian

2016-04-30

The present study investigates, using a large sample (N=4852 participants; 51.71% males), how problematic Internet use (PIU) relates to general life satisfaction and distinct facets of everyday life such as job, leisure, and health. Data on Internet usage was gathered using a short form of the Young Internet Addiction Test. Life satisfaction was measured with standardized items taken from the socioeconomic panel (Germany). Highly significant associations were observed between PIU and the facets of life satisfaction, health and leisure. Of note, these associations between the mentioned facets of life satisfaction and PIU were significantly higher for females compared to males, although the reported total level of PIU was significantly lower for females. This suggests the presence of different thresholds for males and females with respect to negative effects on well-being due to PIU. The current study underlines the importance of including gender as a critical variable when investigating the association between life satisfaction and PIU. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Ensemble Approach for Drug Side Effect Prediction

PubMed Central

Jahid, Md Jamiul; Ruan, Jianhua

2014-01-01

In silico prediction of drug side-effects in early stage of drug development is becoming more popular now days, which not only reduces the time for drug design but also reduces the drug development costs. In this article we propose an ensemble approach to predict drug side-effects of drug molecules based on their chemical structure. Our idea originates from the observation that similar drugs have similar side-effects. Based on this observation we design an ensemble approach that combine the results from different classification models where each model is generated by a different set of similar drugs. We applied our approach to 1385 side-effects in the SIDER database for 888 drugs. Results show that our approach outperformed previously published approaches and standard classifiers. Furthermore, we applied our method to a number of uncharacterized drug molecules in DrugBank database and predict their side-effect profiles for future usage. Results from various sources confirm that our method is able to predict the side-effects for uncharacterized drugs and more importantly able to predict rare side-effects which are often ignored by other approaches. The method described in this article can be useful to predict side-effects in drug design in an early stage to reduce experimental cost and time. PMID:25327524

The side-effects to CPAP treatment inventory: the development and initial validation of a new tool for the measurement of side-effects to CPAP treatment.

PubMed

Broström, Anders; Arestedt, Kristofer Franzén; Nilsen, Per; Strömberg, Anna; Ulander, Martin; Svanborg, Eva

2010-12-01

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS), but side-effects are common. No validated self-rating scale measuring side-effects to CPAP treatment exists today. The aim was to develop the side-effects to CPAP treatment inventory (SECI), and investigate the validity and reliability of the instrument among patients with OSAS. SECI was developed on the basis of: (1) in-depth interviews with 23 patients; (2) examination of the scientific literature and (3) consensus agreement of a multi-professional expert panel. This yielded 15 different types of side-effects related to CPAP treatment. Each side-effect has three sub-questions (scales): perceived frequency (a) and magnitude (b) of the side-effect, as well as its perceived impact on CPAP use (c). A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. A total of 329 patients with OSAS with an average use of CPAP treatment for 39 months (2 weeks to 182 months) were recruited. Data were collected with SECI, and obtained from medical records (clinical variables and data related to CPAP treatment). Construct validity was confirmed with factor analysis (principal component analysis with orthogonal rotation). A logical two-factor solution, the device subscale and symptom subscale, emerged across all three scales. The symptom subscale describing physical and psychological side-effects and the device subscale described mask and device-related side-effects. Internal consistency reliability of the three scales was good (Cronbach's α = 0.74-0.86) and acceptable for the subscales (Cronbach's α = 0.62-0.86). The satisfactory measurement properties of this new instrument are promising and indicate that SECI can be used to measure side-effects to CPAP treatment. © 2010 European Sleep Research Society.

A study of the use of free nicotine patches by Indigenous people.

PubMed

Ivers, Rowena G; Farrington, Melissa; Burns, Chris B; Bailie, Ross S; D'Abbs, Peter H; Richmond, Robyn L; Tipiloura, Eric

2003-10-01

To assess use of free nicotine patches by Indigenous people when offered a brief intervention for smoking cessation, and to assess changes in smoking behaviour at six months. We conducted a pre and post study in three Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. Forty Indigenous smokers self-selected to receive free nicotine patches and a brief intervention for smoking cessation, and 71 chose the brief intervention only. Eighty-four per cent of participants were followed up; 14% of participants could not be located. Fifteen per cent of the nicotine patches group (10% with CO validation) and 1% (CO validated) of the brief intervention only group reported that they had quit at six months. Seventy-six per cent of the nicotine patches group and 51% of the brief intervention only group had reduced their consumption of tobacco. No participant completed a full course of patches. One possible side effect--the experience of bad dreams--was attributed in one community to the person concerned having been 'sung' or cursed. Free nicotine patches might benefit a small number of Indigenous smokers. Cessation rates for the use of both nicotine patches and brief intervention alone were lower than those in other populations, possibly because the study was conducted in a primary care setting and because of barriers to cessation such as widespread use of tobacco in these communities and the perception of tobacco use as non-problematic.

Promise for plant pest control: root-associated pseudomonads with insecticidal activities

PubMed Central

Kupferschmied, Peter; Maurhofer, Monika; Keel, Christoph

2013-01-01

Insects are an important and probably the most challenging pest to control in agriculture, in particular when they feed on belowground parts of plants. The application of synthetic pesticides is problematic owing to side effects on the environment, concerns for public health and the rapid development of resistance. Entomopathogenic bacteria, notably Bacillus thuringiensis and Photorhabdus/Xenorhabdus species, are promising alternatives to chemical insecticides, for they are able to efficiently kill insects and are considered to be environmentally sound and harmless to mammals. However, they have the handicap of showing limited environmental persistence or of depending on a nematode vector for insect infection. Intriguingly, certain strains of plant root-colonizing Pseudomonas bacteria display insect pathogenicity and thus could be formulated to extend the present range of bioinsecticides for protection of plants against root-feeding insects. These entomopathogenic pseudomonads belong to a group of plant-beneficial rhizobacteria that have the remarkable ability to suppress soil-borne plant pathogens, promote plant growth, and induce systemic plant defenses. Here we review for the first time the current knowledge about the occurrence and the molecular basis of insecticidal activity in pseudomonads with an emphasis on plant-beneficial and prominent pathogenic species. We discuss how this fascinating Pseudomonas trait may be exploited for novel root-based approaches to insect control in an integrated pest management framework. PMID:23914197