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FungiDB (https://fungidb.org) serves as a valuable online resource that seamlessly integrates genomic and related large-scale data for a wide range of fungal and oomycete species. As an integral part of the VEuPathDB Bioinformatics Resource Center (https://veupathdb.org), FungiDB continually integrates both published and unpublished data addressing various aspects of fungal biology. Established in early 2011, the database has evolved to support 674 datasets. The datasets include over 300 genomes spanning various taxa (e.g. Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Chytridiomycota, Mucoromycota, as well as Albuginales, Peronosporales, Pythiales, and Saprolegniales). In addition to genomic assemblies and annotation, over 300 extra datasets encompassing diverse information, such as expression and variation data, are also available. The resource also provides an intuitive web-based interface, facilitating comprehensive approaches to data mining and visualization. Users can test their hypotheses and navigate through omics-scale datasets using a built-in search strategy system. Moreover, FungiDB offers capabilities for private data analysis via the integrated VEuPathDB Galaxy platform. FungiDB also permits genome improvements by capturing expert knowledge through the User Comments system and the Apollo genome annotation editor for structural and functional gene curation. FungiDB facilitates data exploration and analysis and contributes to advancing research efforts by capturing expert knowledge for fungal and oomycete species.
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Biología Computacional , Bases de Datos Genéticas , Hongos , Internet , Oomicetos , Oomicetos/genética , Hongos/genética , Biología Computacional/métodos , Genoma Fúngico , Genómica/métodos , Programas InformáticosRESUMEN
As Faculty of the British Association for Psychopharmacology course on child and adolescent psychopharmacology, we present here what we deem are the most common pitfalls, and how to avoid them, in child and adolescent psychopharmacology. In this paper, we specifically addressed common pitfalls in the pharmacological treatment of autism and intellectual disability, eating disorders, neuropsychiatric correlates of epilepsy, and psychosis. Pitfalls in relation to the treatment of other disorders are addressed in a separate paper (Part I).
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Trastorno Autístico , Trastornos de Alimentación y de la Ingestión de Alimentos , Discapacidad Intelectual , Psicofarmacología , Trastornos Psicóticos , Niño , Adolescente , HumanosRESUMEN
As Faculty of the British Association for Psychopharmacology course on child and adolescent psychopharmacology, we present here what we deem are the most common pitfalls, and how to avoid them, in child and adolescent psychopharmacology. In this paper, we specifically addressed common pitfalls in the pharmacological treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders, and tic disorder. Pitfalls in the treatment of other disorders are addressed in a separate paper (part II).
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Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad , Trastorno Obsesivo Compulsivo , Psicofarmacología , Trastornos de Tic , Niño , Humanos , Adolescente , Trastorno Obsesivo Compulsivo/tratamiento farmacológico , Trastorno Obsesivo Compulsivo/epidemiología , Trastornos de Ansiedad/tratamiento farmacológico , Trastornos de Tic/epidemiología , Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/tratamiento farmacológico , ComorbilidadRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The rising prevalence of adolescent mild depression in the UK and the paucity of evidence-based interventions in non-specialist sectors where most cases present, creates an urgent need for early psychological interventions. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for obtaining unbiased estimates of intervention effectiveness. However, the complexity of mental health settings poses great challenges for effectiveness evaluations. This paper reports learning from an embedded process evaluation of the ICALM RCT which tested the feasibility of delivering Interpersonal Counselling for Adolescents (IPC-A) plus Treatment as Usual (TAU) versus TAU only for adolescent (age 12-18) mild depression by non-qualified mental health professionals in non-specialist sectors. METHODS: A qualitative mixed methods process evaluation, drawing on Bronfenbrenner's socioecological model to investigate key influences on trial delivery across macro-(e.g. policy), meso-(e.g. service characteristics) and micro-(e.g. on-site trial processes) contextual levels. Data collection methods included 9 site questionnaires, 4 observations of team meetings, policy documents, and 18 interviews with stakeholders including therapists, heads of service and managers. Thematic analysis focused on understanding how contextual features shaped trial implementation. RESULTS: The ICALM trial concluded in 2022 having only randomised 14 out of the target 60 young people. At a macro-level, trial delivery was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with services reporting a sharp increase in cases of (social) anxiety over low mood, and backlogs at central referral points which prolonged waiting times for mild cases (e.g. low mood). An interaction between high demand and lack of capacity at a meso-service level led to low prioritisation of trial activities at a micro-level. Unfamiliarity with research processes (e.g. randomisation) and variation in TAU support also accentuated the complexities of conducting an RCT in this setting. CONCLUSIONS: Conducting a RCT of IPC-A in non-specialist services is not feasible in the current context. Failure to conduct effectiveness trials in this setting has clinical implications, potentially resulting in escalation of mild mental health problems. Research done in this setting should adopt pragmatic and innovative recruitment and engagement approaches (e.g. creating new referral pathways) and consider alternative trial designs, e.g. cluster, stepped-wedge or non-controlled studies using complex systems approaches to embrace contextual complexity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN82180413. Registered on 31 December 2019.
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Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that results in long-term hyperglycemia. Among the many long-term complications associated with diabetes, manifestations in the hand include Dupuytren's contracture, trigger finger, compressive neuropathies, and infections. These conditions can have a profound impact on a patient's quality of life, highlighting the importance of timely recognition and treatment of these manifestations. This review aims to provide updated information regarding the incidence and outcomes of these clinical manifestations in the diabetic versus nondiabetic population. A systematic review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist was performed. The literature search included the use of PubMed and Ovid databases to find relevant articles that were then selected based on an inclusion criterion that required level 4 evidence. Diabetes mellitus results in an increased incidence of Dupuytren's contracture, trigger finger, carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, and hand infections. Dupuytren's, trigger finger, and carpal tunnel syndrome all had similar outcomes, while diabetic patients had worse outcomes related to infections. There was a lack of data regarding the effect of diabetes on cubital tunnel syndrome. Future studies should be performed to analyze the effects of diabetes mellitus on hand manifestations, particularly regarding the outcomes of diabetic patients with cubital tunnel syndrome.
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BACKGROUND: There is limited understanding of the extent to which differences in physical activity across the day and week may be associated with mental wellbeing. Such an understanding is needed for better targeting of interventions. In this study, we describe total and temporal patterning of physical activity across the week in adolescents (age 13-14y) and assess their prospective associations with mental wellbeing. METHODS: 1,983 13-14-year-old adolescent participants based in Cambridgeshire and Essex, recruited between 2016 and 2017 into the Get Others Active Trial provided data at baseline and 4 months. Physical activity was measured at baseline using wrist-worn accelerometers across different time segments (whole week, weekday schooltime, weekday out of school, and weekend), and operationalized as average movement-related acceleration for each time segment. Mental Wellbeing at baseline and 4 months was measured using the Warwick Edinburgh MentalWellbeing Scale. Associations between physical activity across different time segments (whole week, weekday schooltime, weekday out of school, and weekend) and mental wellbeing at 4 months were investigated using sex-stratified multi-level regression models, adjusted for covariates, and both adjusted and unadjusted for baseline mental wellbeing. RESULTS: Our analyses found positive associations between physical activity and mental wellbeing at 4 months, unadjusted for baseline wellbeing. Among girls, positive associations were shown when considering physical activity across the whole week 0.07 (95% CI, 0.03-0.12), and across all separate time periods studied: weekday schooltime 0.07 (95% CI, 0.02-0.11), weekday out-of-school time 0.07 (95% CI, 0.03-0.12), and weekend 0.07 (95% CI, 0.02-0.11). For boys, similar associations were observed for activity across the week 0.07 (95% CI, 0.03-0.11), during weekday schooltime 0.08 (95% CI, 0.04-0.12), and weekday out-of-school time 0.07 (95% CI, 0.03-0.11), but not the weekend 0.01 (95% CI, -0.03-0.05). For both girls and boys, associations were attenuated below significance after adjusting for baseline wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal analysis showed positive associations between physical activity and later mental wellbeing in both male and female adolescents across most time segments. Higher physical activity throughout the week may be associated with better mental wellbeing in the adolescent population. Further research is required to understand determinants of change in wellbeing over time. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration Number: ISRCTN31583496. Registered: 18/02/2014.
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Ejercicio Físico , Movimiento , Humanos , Adolescente , Femenino , Masculino , Instituciones AcadémicasRESUMEN
Accurate and large-scale assessment of volumetric water content (VWC) plays a critical role in mining waste monitoring to mitigate potential geotechnical and environmental risks. In recent years, time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (TL-ERT) has emerged as a promising monitoring approach that can be used in combination with traditional invasive and point-measurements techniques to estimate VWC in mine tailings. Moreover, the bulk electrical conductivity (EC) imaged using TL-ERT can be converted into VWC in the field using petrophysical relationships calibrated in the laboratory. This study is the first to assess the scale effect on the accuracy of ERT-predicted VWC in tailings. Simultaneous and co-located monitoring of bulk EC and VWC are carried out in tailings at five different scales, in the laboratory and in the field. The hydrogeophysical datasets are used to calibrate a petrophysical model used to predict VWC from TL-ERT data. Overall, the accuracy of ERT-predicted VWC is [Formula: see text], and the petrophysical models determined at sample-scale in the laboratory remain valid at larger scales. Notably, the impact of temperature and pore water EC evolution plays a major role in VWC predictions at the field scale (tenfold reduction of accuracy) and, therefore, must be properly taken into account during the TL-ERT data processing using complementary hydrogeological sensors. Based on these results, we suggest that future studies using TL-ERT to predict VWC in mine tailings could use sample-scale laboratory apparatus similar to the electrical resistivity Tempe cell presented here to calibrate petrophysical models and carefully upscale them to field applications.
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Medical students in Ukraine have faced extraordinary disruption to their clinical studies with both the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent Russian military invasion forcing a majority of their learning to be conducted remotely. Over the summer of 2022, the School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge hosted 20 medical students from Kharkiv National Medical University for a seven-week intensive clinical elective programme. The aim was to provide an immersive clinical placement that would help students to attain the necessary knowledge and experience to become competent and confident practising doctors. This perspective piece aims to support the development of future equivalent exchanges through outlining the placement's context, its planning and implementation, evidence of placement impact, and finally reflections and learning points.
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There is a growing body of modelling evidence that demonstrates the potential for immediate and substantial benefits to adult health from greenhouse gas mitigation actions, but the effects on the health of younger age groups is largely unknown. We conducted a systematic review to identify the available published evidence of the modelled effects on child and adolescent health (≤18 years of age) of greenhouse gas mitigation. We searched six databases of peer-reviewed studies published between January 1, 1990 and July 27, 2022, screened 27,282 original papers and included 23 eligible papers. All included studies were set in high- and middle-income countries; and all studies modelled the effects of interventions that could mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. Most of the available evidence suggests positive benefits for child and adolescent respiratory health from greenhouse gas mitigation actions that simultaneously reduce air pollution (specifically PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide). We found scant evidence on child and adolescent health from regions more vulnerable to climate change, or on mitigation interventions that could affect exposures other than air pollution.
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Contaminantes Atmosféricos , Contaminación del Aire , Gases de Efecto Invernadero , Niño , Humanos , Adolescente , Gases de Efecto Invernadero/análisis , Salud del Adolescente , Cambio Climático , Contaminación del Aire/análisis , Políticas , Contaminantes Atmosféricos/análisisRESUMEN
Bifactor models are increasingly being utilized to study latent constructs such as psychopathology and cognition, which change over the lifespan. Although longitudinal measurement invariance (MI) testing helps ensure valid interpretation of change in a construct over time, this is rarely and inconsistently performed in bifactor models. Our review of MI simulation literature revealed that only one study assessed MI in bifactor models under limited conditions. Recommendations for how to assess MI in bifactor models are suggested based on existing simulation studies of related models. Estimator choice and influence of missing data on MI are also discussed. An empirical example based on a model of the general psychopathology factor (p) elucidates our recommendations, with the present model of p being the first to exhibit residual MI across gender and time. Thus, changes in the ordered-categorical indicators can be attributed to changes in the latent factors. However, further work is needed to clarify MI guidelines for bifactor models, including considering the impact of model complexity and number of indicators. Nonetheless, using the guidelines justified herein to establish MI allows findings from bifactor models to be more confidently interpreted, increasing their comparability and utility.
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The emission benefits of shifting towards battery electric vehicles have so far been hampered by a trend towards sports utility vehicles (SUVs). This study assesses the current and future emissions from SUVs and their potential impact on public health and climate targets. We modelled five scenarios of varying SUV sales and electrification rates, and projected associated carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the relationship between vehicle characteristics and emissions. Cumulative CO2 emissions were valued using the social cost of carbon approach. Life table analyses were used to project and value life years saved from NOx emission reductions. Larger SUVs were disproportionately high emitters of CO2 and NOx. Replacing these with small SUVs achieved significant benefits, saving 702 MtCO2e by 2050 and 1.8 million life years from NO2 reductions. The largest benefits were achieved when combined with electrification, saving 1181 MtCO2e and gaining 3.7 million life years, with a societal value in the range of GBP 10-100s billion(s). Downsizing SUVs could be associated with major public health benefits from reduced CO2 and NOx emissions, in addition to the benefits of electrification. This could be achieved by demand-side mass-based vehicle taxation and supply-side changes to regulations, by tying emission limits to a vehicle's footprint rather than its mass.
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Contaminantes Atmosféricos , Contaminación del Aire , Contaminantes Atmosféricos/análisis , Emisiones de Vehículos/análisis , Dióxido de Carbono , Salud Pública , Material Particulado/análisis , Contaminación del Aire/análisis , Vehículos a Motor , Reino Unido , Óxido Nítrico/análisisRESUMEN
Most research on the air pollution-related health effects of decarbonization has focused on adults. We assess the potential health benefits that could be achieved in children and young people in a global sample of 16 cities through global decarbonization actions. We modelled annual average concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at 1x1 km resolution in the cities using a general circulation/atmospheric chemistry model assuming removal of all global combustion-related emissions from land transport, industries, domestic energy use and power generation. We modelled the impact on childhood asthma incidence and adverse birth outcomes (low birthweight, pre-term births) using published exposure-response relationships. Removal of combustion emissions was estimated to decrease annual average PM2.5 by between 2.9 µg/m3 (8.4%) in Freetown and 45.4 µg/m3 (63.7%) in Dhaka. For NO2, the range was from 0.3 ppb (7.9%) in Freetown to 18.8 ppb (92.3%) in Mexico City. Estimated reductions in asthma incidence ranged from close to zero in Freetown, Tamale and Harare to 149 cases per 100,000 population in Los Angeles. For pre-term birth, modelled impacts ranged from a reduction of 135 per 100,000 births in Dar es Salaam to 2,818 per 100,000 births in Bhubaneswar and, for low birthweight, from 75 per 100,000 births in Dar es Salaam to 2,951 per 100,000 births in Dhaka. The large variations chiefly reflect differences in the magnitudes of air pollution reductions and estimated underlying disease rates. Across the 16 cities, the reduction in childhood asthma incidence represents more than one-fifth of the current burden, and an almost 10% reduction in pre-term and low birthweight births. Decarbonization actions that remove combustion-related emissions contributing to ambient PM2.5 and NO2 would likely lead to substantial but geographically-varied reductions in childhood asthma and adverse birth outcomes, though there are uncertainties in causality and the precision of estimates.
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Contaminantes Atmosféricos , Contaminación del Aire , Asma , Niño , Adulto , Humanos , Adolescente , Contaminantes Atmosféricos/análisis , Ciudades , Peso al Nacer , Dióxido de Nitrógeno/análisis , Salud Infantil , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales/efectos adversos , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales/análisis , Tanzanía , Bangladesh , Zimbabwe , Contaminación del Aire/análisis , Asma/etiología , Material Particulado/análisisRESUMEN
Populations that are reliant on subsistence farming are particularly vulnerable to climatic effects on crop yields. However, empirical evidence on the role of the timing of exposure to crop yield deficits in early-life development is limited. We examined the relationship between child survival and annual crop yield reductions at different stages of early-life development in a subsistence farming population in Burkina Faso. Using shared frailty Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for confounders, we analyzed 57,288 children under 5 years of age followed by the Nouna Health and Demographic Surveillance System (1994-2016) in relation to provincial food-crop yield levels experienced in 5 nonoverlapping time windows (12 months before conception, gestation, birth-age 5.9 months, ages 6.0 months-1.9 years, and ages 2.0-4.9 years) and their aggregates (birth-1.9 years, first 1,000 days from conception, and birth-4.9 years). Of the nonoverlapping windows, point estimates were largest for child survival related to food-crop yields for the time window of 6.0 months-1.9 years: The adjusted mortality hazard ratio was 1.10 (95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.19) for a 90th-to-10th percentile yield reduction. These findings suggest that child survival in this setting is particularly vulnerable to cereal-crop yield reductions during the period of nonexclusive breastfeeding.
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Agricultura , Mortalidad del Niño , Vulnerabilidad Social , Preescolar , Femenino , Humanos , Lactancia Materna , Burkina Faso/epidemiología , Modelos de Riesgos Proporcionales , Población Rural , Cambio Climático , LactanteRESUMEN
This research aimed to capture and synthesise the views of children, young people, parents and expectant parents (CYPP) about the cities where they live, with a specific focus on air pollution (AP), in order to support the generation of evidence-informed policy that reflects CYPP's perspectives, ultimately contributing to the development of child-centered, healthier, sustainable cities. The Children, Cities and Climate (CCC) project used targeted social media adverts to recruit CYPP to complete an online survey with a combination of open and closed questions in order to collect perceptions about air quality in their home cities, the main sources of AP, and how they would improve their cities. The survey was completed by 3,222 CYPP in 59 of the most polluted cities in 14 countries. Nearly two in five (39%) CYPP cited AP as one of the worst things about their city, with motor transport perceived as the main contributor. CYPP reported differing views on whether their cities were becoming better (43%) or worse (34%) places to live (33% reported it was 'staying the same'). Numerous specific ideas to improve cities and urban air quality emerged, alongside an emphasis on also addressing structural barriers to change. A clear set of principles that should guide how city leaders act was also described, including the need to engage with young people meaningfully. CYPPs articulated good and bad experiences of urban living and perceived AP and traffic as pressing concerns. They provided a clear set of suggestions for improving their cities. Further efforts to engage young people on these issues are warranted.
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Introduction: This secondary analysis of data collected in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) for the treatment of depression in adolescents aimed to test prediction models relating antidepressant (AD) initiation to clinical variables. Methods: The primary study was an RCT where adolescents (ages 11-17) with depression were assigned one of three outpatient psychotherapies over 86 weeks. The current study tested five registered prediction models using data on adolescents not taking ADs at baseline (N = 337). Outcomes of interest included: AD initiation, change in depression severity, and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs). Results: Findings from registered analytic strategies were not consistent with our a priori hypotheses; rather we unexpectedly observed a relationship between initiation of AD and increased risk of suicide attempts and suicidal ideation during the same time interval (p > 0.01). Sensitivity analyses found that: (1) higher depressive symptom severity and self-harm each predicted future AD initiation (p < 0.05), and (2) new-onset SITB was associated with AD initiation (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Taken together, our results suggest that depression symptoms severity and SITBs may prompt AD initiation. Researchers may wish to further explore causal pathways relevant to the association ADs between SITBs. Clinicians need to be cognizant of high-quality guideline recommendations when prescribing ADs to adolescents.
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Antidepresivos , Conducta Autodestructiva , Humanos , Adolescente , Niño , Antidepresivos/uso terapéutico , Intento de Suicidio , Ideación Suicida , Conducta Autodestructiva/tratamiento farmacológico , PsicoterapiaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To investigate socioeconomic inequities in the intervention and evaluation process of the GoActive school-based physical activity intervention and demonstrate a novel approach to evaluating intervention-related inequalities. DESIGN: Exploratory post-hoc secondary data analysis of trial data. SETTING: The GoActive trial was run in secondary schools across Cambridgeshire and Essex (UK), between September 2016 and July 2018. PARTICIPANTS: 13-14 years old adolescents (n=2838, 16 schools). METHODS: Socioeconomic inequities across six stages in the intervention and evaluation process were evaluated: (1) provision of and access to resources; (2) intervention uptake; (3) intervention effectiveness (accelerometer-assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)); (4) long-term compliance; (5) response in evaluation; and (6) impact on health. Data from self-report and objective measures were analysed by individual-level and school-level socioeconomic position (SEP) using a combination of classical hypothesis tests and multilevel regression modelling. RESULTS: Stage: (1) There was no difference in the provision of physical activity resources by school-level SEP (eg, quality of facilities (0-3), low=2.6 (0.5); high=2.5 (0.4). (2) Students of low-SEP engaged significantly less with the intervention (eg, website access: low=37.2%; middle=45.4%; high=47.0%; p=0.001). (3) There was a positive intervention effect on MVPA in adolescents of low-SEP (3.13 min/day, 95% CI -1.27 to 7.54, but not middle/high (-1.49; 95% CI -6.54 to 3.57). (4) At 10 months post-intervention, this difference increased (low SEP: 4.90; 95% CI 0.09 to 9.70; middle/high SEP: -2.76; 95% CI -6.78 to 1.26). (5) There was greater non-compliance to evaluation measures among adolescents of low-SEP (eg, % accelerometer compliance (low vs high): baseline: 88.4 vs 92.5; post-intervention: 61.6 vs 69.2; follow-up: 54.5 vs 70.2. (6) The intervention effect on body mass index (BMI) z-score was more favourable in adolescents of low-SEP (low SEP: -0.10; 95% CI -0.19 to 0.00; middle/high: 0.03; 95% CI -0.05 to 0.12). CONCLUSIONS: These analyses suggest the GoActive intervention had a more favourable positive effect on MVPA and BMI in adolescents of low-SEP, despite lower intervention engagement. However, differential response to evaluation measures may have biassed these conclusions. We demonstrate a novel way of evaluating inequities within young people's physical activity intervention evaluations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN31583496.
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Ejercicio Físico , Promoción de la Salud , Adolescente , Humanos , Ejercicio Físico/fisiología , Índice de Masa Corporal , Instituciones Académicas , Factores SocioeconómicosRESUMEN
Previous literature has explored unconscious racial biases in clinical education and medicine, finding that people with darker skin tones can be underrepresented in learning resources and managed differently in a clinical setting. This study aimed to examine whether patient skin colour can affect the diagnostic ability and confidence of medical students, and their cognitive reasoning processes. We presented students with 12 different clinical presentations on both white skin (WS) and non-white skin (NWS). A think aloud (TA) study was conducted to explore students' cognitive reasoning processes (n = 8). An online quiz was also conducted where students submitted a diagnosis and confidence level for each clinical presentation (n = 185). In the TA interviews, students used similar levels of information gathering and analytical reasoning for each skin type but appeared to display increased uncertainty and reduced non-analytical reasoning methods for the NWS images compared to the WS images. In the online quiz, students were significantly more likely to accurately diagnose five of the 12 clinical presentations (shingles, cellulitis, Lyme disease, eczema and meningococcal disease) on WS compared to NWS (p < 0.01). With regards to students' confidence, they were significantly more confident diagnosing eight of the 12 clinical presentations (shingles, cellulitis, Lyme disease, eczema, meningococcal disease, urticaria, chickenpox and Kawasaki disease) on WS when compared to NWS (p < 0.01). These findings highlight the need to improve teaching resources to include a greater diversity of skin colours exhibiting clinical signs, to improve students' knowledge and confidence, and ultimately, to avoid patients being misdiagnosed due to the colour of their skin.
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Eccema , Herpes Zóster , Enfermedad de Lyme , Infecciones Meningocócicas , Estudiantes de Medicina , Humanos , Pigmentación de la Piel , Estudiantes de Medicina/psicología , Celulitis (Flemón) , Competencia ClínicaRESUMEN
Adolescence to emerging adulthood is a critical period for the onset of depressive symptoms. Understanding symptom change during this period is thus of great clinical relevance. This understanding is, however, based on the premise of the accurate measurement of depressive symptoms across time and sex, typically untested in applied research. The present study investigated longitudinal and sex measurement invariance (MI) of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ), a widely used unidimensional 13-item measure of self-reported depressive symptoms. We employed 10 waves of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a population-based study in South-West England (N = 7,364; ages 11-26). The SMFQ exhibited increasing consistency with age: Scalar longitudinal MI was not supported by all indices in models that included ages 11 and 13, but strict MI was established from ages 14-26. At each wave, at least partial strict MI across sex was established. Sum score models with equal weightings had acceptable fit, and good reliability which was equivalent to reliability using differential weightings. External validity for sum scores was also comparable to factor scores. Thus, sum scores seem an appropriate, practical choice in many settings. Overall, findings support the use of SMFQ in assessing change in depressive symptoms from adolescence into emerging adulthood, specifically ages 14-26. Some caution is necessary when comparing the construct at ages 11-13 with ages greater than 17, when measurement models were not fully invariant. This research informs epidemiological and clinical studies on the applicability of the SMFQ across time and sex. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).