Cognitive impairment and therapeutic response in resistant depression.

OBJECTIVES: Therapeutic response in depression is a major challenge since more than one third of patients are not in remission after two attempts of antidepressant treatment and will present a treatment-resistant depression. In order to better adapt therapeutic strategies for treatment-resistant patients, predictive indicators and markers of therapeutic response still need to be identified. In parallel, patients with depression exhibit disturbances in cognitive functioning. This study aims to describe and compare cognitive performances collected at inclusion of patients presenting treatment-resistant depression who will be responders at 6 months to those of non-responders, and to evaluate the predictive value of cognitive indicators on clinical therapeutic response at 6 months after a therapeutic modification. METHODS: Observational study. Patients were evaluated at the clinical (HDRS and BDI-II) and cognitive levels using standardized tools assessing memory, executive functions, attention, and social cognition, prior to a change in antidepressant treatment. Six months after inclusion, they were reassessed and classified into two groups based on the presence or absence of therapeutic response, defined by a 50% improvement on HDRS and BDI-II. The cognitive scores collected at inclusion were then compared. Additionally, univariate logistic regression models were used. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included in this study. Only 13 could be evaluated at 6 months. Among these patients, four had responded to the new treatment while nine were non-responders. Both groups of patients presented deviant cognitive performances compared to norms on tests evaluating executive functions and attention. Statistical analyses did not reveal any difference between the cognitive performances of responders and non-responders at 6 months. Regression analyses showed no association between cognitive scores and therapeutic response at 6 months. CONCLUSION: Executive functioning plays a significant role in treatment-resistant depression. In order to improve the understanding and identification of subtypes of depression, cognitive indicators should be systematically integrated into future research.

Exploring Stress Mindset and Perceived Stress between College Student-Athletes and Non-Athletes.

One's beliefs about the nature of stress (e.g., stress mindset) play a large role in the extent to which one experiences the detrimental or beneficial outcomes of stress. Stress mindset has been explored in college students, but there is limited research on stress mindsets in student-athletes. Sport can serve as a buffer to the negative impacts of stress for some student-athletes; however, pressures associated with sport participation increase stress in other student-athletes. Therefore, the purpose was to examine potential differences in stress mindset and perceived stress between non-athletes and college student-athletes. We hypothesized college student-athletes would report higher stress mindset scores but lower perceived stress scores. A total of 272 students (n = 87 student-athletes; n = 185 non-athletes) completed a demographic questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Stress Mindset Measure via an online survey. No significant differences were observed between student-athletes' and non-athletes' stress mindset scores; however, significant differences were observed between student-athletes' and non-athletes' perceived stress. Thus, student-athletes and non-athletes shared a similar view of stress, but student-athletes reported a lower level of perceived stress than non-athletes. While there appears to be no statistically significant differences in stress mindset between college non-athletes and student-athletes, both groups reported holding a stress-is-debilitating mindset. Implications for practitioners working with the college population are discussed.

Association between the altitude of residential areas and clinical diagnosis of chronic gastritis in ambulatory patients of Peru: A cross-sectional analytic study. / Asociación entre zonas altitudinales de residencia y diagnóstico clínico de gastritis crónica en pacientes ambulatorios de Perú: estudio transversal analítico.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic gastritis is one of the most common diseases in the population. Several factors influence its appearance; however, the effect of high altitude has not been studied thoroughly. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between the altitude of the residential area and chronic gastritis in outpatients of Peru. METHODS: Observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study. Secondary data analysis was conducted. The dependent variable was chronic gastritis, obtained from patient references, and verified in the medical history according to the pathological history mentioned during medical consultation. The independent variable was the altitude of the residential areas (categorized into low altitude, intermediate altitude, high and very high), and the secondary co-variables were age, sex, and time living at altitude. Generalized linear models were used to estimate prevalence ratios using Poisson family and city as a cluster. RESULTS: Of the 4263 patients studied, 63% were female; the median age was 42 years. The overall prevalence of chronic gastritis was 12,9%. There was an association with chronic gastritis and altitude of residence at the intermediate and high levels, but not at the very high; with an adjusted prevalence ratio of 1.52 (95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 2.23); 2.01 (1.55 to 2.60) and 1.12 (0.84 to 1.48), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We found a significant association between chronic gastritis and intermediate and high altitude but not at very high, which could be explained by hypobaric hypoxia in altitude that could lead to gastric wall lesions and other socio-demographic variables.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La gastritis crónica es unas de las enfermedades más comunes en la población y varía por regiones. Existen diversos factores que influyen en su aparición. Sin embargo, no se ha estudiado a profundidad el efecto de la altura. OBJETIVOS: Determinar la asociación entre la zona altitudinal de residencia y gastritis crónica en pacientes ambulatorios de Perú. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal analítico. Se realizó a través del análisis secundario de datos. La variable dependiente fue gastritis crónica, tomada del reporte del paciente y verificado en la historia clínica, según antecedentes patológicos mencionados durante consulta médica. La variable independiente fue la zona altitudinal de residencia (divida en baja altitud, altitud intermedia, elevada y muy elevada). Las covariables secundarias fueron edad, sexo y tiempo viviendo en altura. Se realizaron modelos lineales generalizados para estimar razones de prevalencias, usando familia Poisson y ciudad como clúster. RESULTADOS: De los 4263 pacientes estudiados, 63% fue del sexo femenino; la mediana de la edad fue de 42 años. La prevalencia global de gastritis crónica fue 12,9%. Hubo asociación con gastritis crónica y altura de residencia a nivel intermedio, elevado, pero no con muy elevado, con una razón de prevalencia ajustada de 1,52 (intervalo de confianza 95%: 1,03 a 2,23); 2,01 (1,55 a 2,60) y 1,12 (0,84 a 1,48), respectivamente. CONCLUSIONES: Se encontró una asociación significativa entre gastritis crónica y altitud intermedia y elevada, pero no en muy elevada. Esto se explicaría por la hipoxia hipobárica en alturas, que podría conllevar lesiones en la pared gástrica, la adaptación de los peruanos a las alturas y por otras variables sociodemográficas.

Asociación entre zonas altitudinales de residencia y diagnóstico clínico de gastritis crónica en pacientes ambulatorios de Perú: estudio transversal analítico / The altitude of residential areas and clinical diagnosis of chronic gastritis in ambulatory patients of Peru: A cross-sectional analytic study

INTRODUCCIÓN: La gastritis crónica es unas de las enfermedades más comunes en la población y varía por regiones. Existen diversos factores que influyen en su aparición. Sin embargo, no se ha estudiado a profundidad el efecto de la altura. OBJETIVOS: Determinar la asociación entre la zona altitudinal de residencia y gastritis crónica en pacientes ambulatorios de Perú. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal analítico. Se realizó a través del análisis secundario de datos. La variable dependiente fue gastritis crónica, tomada del reporte del paciente y verificado en la historia clínica, según antecedentes patológicos mencionados durante consulta médica. La variable independiente fue la zona altitudinal de residencia (divida en baja altitud, altitud intermedia, elevada y muy elevada). Las covariables secundarias fueron edad, sexo y tiempo viviendo en altura. Se realizaron modelos lineales generalizados para estimar razones de prevalencias, usando familia Poisson y ciudad como clúster. RESULTADOS: De los 4263 pacientes estudiados, 63% fue del sexo femenino; la mediana de la edad fue de 42 años. La prevalencia global de gastritis crónica fue 12,9%. Hubo asociación con gastritis crónica y altura de residencia a nivel intermedio, elevado, pero no con muy elevado, con una razón de prevalencia ajustada de 1,52 (intervalo de confianza 95%: 1,03 a 2,23); 2,01 (1,55 a 2,60) y 1,12 (0,84 a 1,48), respectivamente. CONCLUSIONES: Se encontró una asociación significativa entre gastritis crónica y altitud intermedia y elevada, pero no en muy elevada. Esto se explicaría por la hipoxia hipobárica en alturas, que podría conllevar lesiones en la pared gástrica, la adaptación de los peruanos a las alturas y por otras variables sociodemográficas.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic gastritis is one of the most common diseases in the population. Several factors influence its appearance; however, the effect of high altitude has not been studied thoroughly. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between the altitude of the residential area and chronic gastritis in outpatients of Peru. METHODS: Observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study. Secondary data analysis was conducted. The dependent variable was chronic gastritis, obtained from patient references, and verified in the medical history according to the pathological history mentioned during medical consultation. The independent variable was the altitude of the residential areas (categorized into low altitude, intermediate altitude, high and very high), and the secondary co-variables were age, sex, and time living at altitude. Generalized linear models were used to estimate prevalence ratios using Poisson family and city as a cluster. RESULTS: Of the 4263 patients studied, 63% were female; the median age was 42 years. The overall prevalence of chronic gastritis was 12,9%. There was an association with chronic gastritis and altitude of residence at the intermediate and high levels, but not at the very high; with an adjusted prevalence ratio of 1.52 (95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 2.23); 2.01 (1.55 to 2.60) and 1.12 (0.84 to 1.48), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We found a significant association between chronic gastritis and intermediate and high altitude but not at very high, which could be explained by hypobaric hypoxia in altitude that could lead to gastric wall lesions and other socio-demographic variables.

Rapamycin exposure to host and to adult worms affects life history traits of Heligmosomoides bakeri.

Parasite life history can be affected by conditions of the host and of the external environment. Rapamycin, a known immunosuppressant of mammals, was fed to laboratory mice that were then infected with the Trichostrongylid nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri to determine if host rapamycin exposure would affect parasite survival, growth, and reproduction. In addition, adult worms from control fed mice were directly exposed to rapamycin to assess if rapamycin would affect worm viability and ex vivo reproduction. We found that host ingestion of rapamycin did not affect H. bakeri survival or growth for male or female worms, but female worms had increased reproduction both in vivo and when removed from the host and cultured ex vivo. After direct rapamycin exposure, motility of female worms was greater at low levels of rapamycin compared to high levels of rapamycin or high levels of DMSO (the vehicle used to solubilize rapamycin) in control media, but was similar to females in low levels of DMSO in control media. Male motility was not affected by the presence of rapamycin or DMSO in the media. Ex vivo egg deposition was higher when exposed to rapamycin than when cultured in control media that contained DMSO, regardless of DMSO dose. Overall, we conclude that host ingestion of rapamycin or direct exposure to rapamycin was generally favorable or neutral for parasite life history traits.

Precipitates of Al(III), Sc(III), and La(III) at the muscovite-water interface.

The interaction of Al(III), Sc(III), and La(III) with muscovite-water interfaces was studied at pH 4 and 10 mM NaCl using second harmonic generation (SHG) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). SHG data for Sc(III) and La(III) suggest complete and/or partial irreversible adsorption that is attributed by XPS to the growth of Sc(III) and La(III) hydroxides/oxides on the muscovite surface. Al(III) adsorption appears to coincide with the growth of gibbsite (Al(OH)3) deposits on the muscovite surface, as indicated by the magnitude of the interfacial potential computed from the SHG data. This interpretation of the data is consistent with previous studies reporting the epitaxial growth of gibbsite on the muscovite surface under similar conditions. The implication of our findings is that the surface charge density of mica may change (and in the case of Al(III), even flip sign from negative (mica) to positive (gibbsite)) when Al(III), Sc(III), or La(III) is present in aqueous phases in contact with heterogeneous geochemical media rich in mica-class minerals, even at subsaturation conditions.

Uranyl adsorption at the muscovite (mica)/water interface studied by second harmonic generation.

Uranyl adsorption at the muscovite (mica)/water interface was studied by second harmonic generation (SHG). Using the nonresonant χ(3) technique and the Gouy-Chapman model, the initial surface charge density of the mica surface was determined to be -0.022(1) C/m(2) at pH 6 and in the presence of dissolved carbonate. Under these same conditions, uranyl adsorption isotherms collected using nonresonant χ(3) experiments and resonantly enhanced SHG experiments that probe the ligand-to-metal charge transfer bands of the uranyl cation yielded a uranyl binding constant of 3(1) × 10(7) M(-1), corresponding to a Gibbs free energy of adsorption of -52.6(8) kJ/mol, and a maximum surface charge density at monolayer uranyl coverage of 0.028(3) C/m(2). These results suggest favorable adsorption of uranyl ions to the mica interface through strong ion-dipole or hydrogen interactions, with a 1:1 uranyl ion to surface site ratio that is indicative of monovalent cations ((UO(2))(3)(OH)(5)(+), (UO(2))(4)(OH)(7)(+), UO(2)OH(+), UO(2)Cl(+), UO(2)(CH(3)COO(-))(+)) binding at the interface, in addition to neutral uranyl species (UO(2)(OH)(2) and UO(2)CO(3)). This work provides benchmark measurements to be used in the improvement of contaminant transport modeling.