FEELing (key)Pressed: Implicit Touch Pressure Bests Brain Activity in Modelling Emotion Dynamics in the Space Between Stressed and Relaxed.

In-body lived emotional experiences can be complex, with time-varying and dissonant emotions evolving simultaneously; devices responding in real-time to estimate personal human emotion should evolve accordingly. Models assuming generalized emotions exist as discrete states fail to operationalize valuable information inherent in the dynamic and individualistic nature of human emotions. Our multi-resolution emotion self-reporting procedure allows the construction of emotion labels along the Stressed-Relaxed scale, differentiating not only what the emotions are, but how they are transitioning - e.g., "hopeful but getting stressed" vs. "hopeful and starting to relax". We trained participant-dependent hierarchical models of contextualized individual experience to compare emotion classification by modality (brain activity and keypress force from a physical keyboard), then benchmarked classification performance at F1-scores=[0.44, 0.82] (chance F1=0.22, σ = 0.01) and examined high-performing features. Notably, when classifying emotion evolution in the context of an experience that realistically varies in stress, pressure-based features from keypress force proved to be the more informative modality, and more convenient when considering intrusiveness and ease of collection and processing. Finally, we present our FEEL (Force, EEG and Emotion-Labelled) dataset, a collection of brain activity and keypress force data, labelled with self-reported emotion collected during tense videogame play (N=16) and open-sourced for community exploration.

Advanced practice psychiatric nurses legislative update: State of the States, 2010.

This article provides an update regarding individual state legislation for advanced practice psychiatric nursing, building on previous briefings. Specific attention is given to independent versus collaborative practice regulations, titling, and prescriptive authority. There is review of contemporary issues and focus on scope and standards of practice, workforce data, certification, and advanced practice regulatory models.

Cortisol and symptoms of psychopathology in Russian and American college students.

Cortisol is a key player in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to stress, and has been related to symptoms of depression and other stress-related pathology. The present study investigated the relationship between cortisol and survey measures of stress and psychopathology as well as lifestyle in Russian and American college students. Salivary cortisol was collected upon awakening, 30 min later, at 4 p.m., and at 10 p.m. by Russian and American college students. Survey measures of anxiety and depression, as measured by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) were collected as well as scores on the Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ). In addition, measures of drinking-related problems, as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and the "Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener" (CAGE) were also completed. Consistent with the typically observed empirical pattern, cortisol levels increased in the 30 min after awakening and then declined across the day. Women reported more symptoms of anxiety than did men in both Russian and American samples. American students reported more symptoms of depression than did Russian students, though Russian students reported more traumatic life experiences. Americans had higher cortisol levels overall, though Russian students had larger changes in cortisol levels across the day, associated with both greater morning rises and afternoon declines in cortisol. While more Russian students reported smoking, American students reported more problems associated with alcohol use as measured by the AUDIT. The relationship between stress and health, mediating factors of lifestyle and coping, and the impact of social transition in Russia are discussed.

A preliminary assessment of adjustment disorder among first-year college students.

Using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria, we investigated whether the diagnosis adjustment disorder (AD) described first-year college students' adjustment problems. We found that a substantial portion of students experienced a set of adjustment symptoms meeting the AD criteria. Another portion of students reported adjustment concerns that were problematic but did not meet the AD diagnosis threshold. Female students tended to report more symptoms than do male students. College counseling implications are presented.

Health and Work in Women and Men in the Welding and Electrical Trades: How Do They Differ?

Objectives: There is little information on how work tasks, demands, and exposures differ between women and men in nominally the same job. This is critical in setting workplace standards that will protect the health of both men and those women moving into less traditional work roles. Information used in setting standards is currently based almost entirely on male workers. This paper describes differences in work and health, and the relation between them, in women and men who have undergone the same trade training for the welding or electrical trades. Method: Four cohorts were established. Two were women across Canada in the welding and electrical trades who had been in an apprenticeship since 2005. Cohorts of men in the same trades during the same period were established in the province of Alberta, Canada. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire at recruitment and were followed up every 6 months to collect detailed information on work carried out and on their health and habits. At the end of the study (up to 5 years for women and up to 3 years for men), the cohort members completed a final questionnaire including questions on mental health, harassment, and gender. Results: The four cohorts comprised 1001 welders (447 female; 554 male) and 885 in the electrical trades (438 female; 447 male). Follow-up information was available for 89%. Women were more likely than men to have had some post-secondary education before starting their trade and were less likely to be living as married or to have a child. More welders smoked, and more men were heavy drinkers. At recruitment, more welders than those in the electrical trades reported rhinitis (sneezing and runny nose), depression, and anxiety. Female welders reported more depression (38%) than male welders (30%), compared to 24% in the electrical trades. At first follow-up, new-onset shoulder pain was more frequent in men and new-onset asthma or wheezing in welders. Within each trade, women reported less variety in tasks. Women welders were less likely to be employed in construction than men, and women were less likely to become industrial electricians. Overall, 54% of women and 46% of men reported never using respiratory protection when welding. In the end-of-study questionnaires received to date, 49% reported bullying or harassment during the apprenticeship, with higher proportions in welding than electrical trades and in women compared with men. Such harassment was reflected in higher anxiety and depression scores. Conclusions: This is the first report on these four cohorts and demonstrates the capacity for detailed analysis of the differences in exposure and new-onset occupationally related ill-health. While women and men in the same trades appear to be doing broadly similar work, and to have similar patterns on health at the first follow-up, there are some significant differences in the types of employment and variety of tasks. The very detailed information collected will allow more precise estimates of exposures to be correlated with health outcomes at the end of the follow-up period.

Loss of PAX8 in high-grade serous ovarian cancer reduces cell survival despite unique modes of action in the fallopian tube and ovarian surface epithelium.

High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most common and lethal form of ovarian cancer. PAX8 is a transcription factor expressed in fallopian tube epithelial cells and in 80-96% of HGSC tumors. The ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) only acquires PAX8 expression after malignant transformation. In this study, forced PAX8 expression in OSE cells increased proliferation and migration through upregulation of EMT factors such as N-cadherin and Fibronectin. OSE cells expressing PAX8 also had an increase in the FOXM1 pathway, but PAX8 alone was not sufficient to drive tumorigenesis. PAX8 knockdown in the oviductal epithelium cells did not decrease expression of the FOXM1 pathway and induced only a slight decrease in cell proliferation. No changes in migration, cell cycle, or apoptosis were detected after PAX8 knockdown in oviductal cells. Finally, PAX8 knockdown in HGSC cell lines resulted in increased apoptosis and decreased FOXM1 levels. The results presented here suggest that PAX8 has a cell specific role in governing proliferation and migration in nontransformed ovarian surface epithelium cells compared to the oviductal cells, but its reduction in serous cancer cell lines provides a common mechanism for reducing cell survival.

Differences between Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii in the Molecular Mechanisms Governing Utilization of D-Amino Acids as the Sole Nitrogen Source.

The ability to grow on media containing certain D-amino acids as a sole nitrogen source is widely utilized to differentiate Cryptococcus gattii from C. neoformans. We used the C. neoformans H99 and C. gattii R265 strains to dissect the mechanisms of D-amino acids utilization. We identified three putative D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) genes in both strains and showed that each DAO gene plays different roles in D-amino acid utilization in each strain. Deletion of DAO2 retarded growth of R265 on eleven D-amino acids suggesting its prominent role on D-amino acid assimilation in R265. All three R265 DAO genes contributed to growth on D-Asn and D-Asp. DAO3 was required for growth and detoxification of D-Glu by both R265 and H99. Although growth of H99 on most D-amino acids was poor, deletion of DAO1 or DAO3 further exacerbated it on four D-amino acids. Overexpression of DAO2 or DAO3 enabled H99 to grow robustly on several D-amino acids suggesting that expression levels of the native DAO genes in H99 were insufficient for growth on D-amino acids. Replacing the H99 DAO2 gene with a single copy of the R265 DAO2 gene also enabled its utilization of several D-amino acids. Results of gene and promoter swaps of the DAO2 genes suggested that enzymatic activity of Dao2 in H99 might be lower compared to the R265 strain. A reduction in virulence was only observed when all DAO genes were deleted in R265 but not in H99 indicating a pathobiologically exclusive role of the DAO genes in R265. These results suggest that C. neoformans and C. gattii divergently evolved in D-amino acid utilization influenced by their major ecological niches.

The nomenclature of groin dissection for melanoma - Time to simplify.

INTRODUCTION: A wide variety of terms are used to describe different extents of groin dissection for stage 3 melanoma which may result in confusion and reduce effectiveness of research. We aim to evaluate the published terminology. METHODS: A PubMed review was conducted using the terms 'melanoma' plus 'inguinal'; 'groin'; 'pelvic'; 'ilioinguinal' dissection. 63 papers were included from 1956 to March 2015. A review of anatomy and coding was also conducted. RESULTS: Inguinal dissection was described using 8 terms from 56 papers with 7 papers using multiple terms for the same procedure. 'Superficial dissection' was the most common term despite inguinal-nodal tissue being separated into superficial and deep layers anatomically. ICD10PCS and OPSC code for 'inguinal' with no anatomical definition, CPT codes for 'inguinofemoral/superficial'. Combination inguino-pelvic dissection was described using 11 terms from 51 papers with 15 papers using multiple terms for the same procedure. 'Ilioinguinal' and 'Deep' were the most common despite most pelvic dissections including obturator nodes. ICD10PCS and OPSC code for 'pelvic' with no anatomical definition and CPT codes for 'superficial plus pelvic'. CONCLUSION: Many different terms are used to describe the same procedures, often within the same article. The lack of clarity can confuse readers, hinder comparative research and jeopardise patient care. Imprecise documentation of anatomical definition limits surgical outcome reporting and can impede planning for revision surgery. Standardisation is necessary and groin dissection should be defined by anatomical boundaries e.g. 'superficial' and 'deep' inguinal; 'pelvic'; 'inguino-pelvic' with clear documentation of extent.

Safety in the use of compressed air versus oxygen for the ophthalmic patient.

Oxygen, routinely administered during surgery to avoid hypoxia, poses risks including increased likelihood of surgical room fires and predisposition to retinal phototoxicity in patients. Compressed air to supplement ventilation may be safer than oxygen. The purpose of this study was to determine whether hypoxia occurs more frequently when compressed air replaces supplemental oxygen during ophthalmic surgery. A convenience sample of 111 patients was randomly assigned to receive supplemental oxygen (group 1) or compressed air (group 2). Patients with serious cardiac or pulmonary disease were excluded. Blood oxygen levels were monitored during surgery by pulse oximetry. Oxygen was administered to all group 2 patients whose oxygen saturation fell to less than 90% or by more than 5% below baseline. No differences were observed between groups in age, ASA classification, type of surgery, or anesthetic drugs or doses. Minor, but statistically higher oxygen values were observed in group 1. The frequency with which oxygen saturation decreased below 90% or below 5% of baseline was similar in both groups. Supplemental oxygen is not required routinely in selected patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery. By using compressed air, the risk of operating room fires and retinal phototoxicity may be reduced.

Meaning of bereavement among older African American widows.

In spite of the increase in research on spousal bereavement, researchers have not specifically addressed the impact that ethnicity may have on the bereavement experience. The results of this descriptive phenomenological study increase the understanding of spousal bereavement among older African American widows. Storytelling was at the heart of every participant's description of her bereavement experience. Six themes were identified: awareness of death, care giving, getting through, moving on, changing feelings, and financial security. For nurses to effectively intervene in the lives of bereaved older African American widows, they must consider each widow's culture, heritage, and lived experiences, which can be ascertained through eliciting and listening to the widow's life stories.