'Quarantine 15': Pre-registered findings on stress and concern about weight gain before/during COVID-19 in relation to caregivers' eating pathology.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has dramatically altered daily activities including eating and physical activity behaviors, which in turn may be related to eating pathology. Those who care for children (henceforth caregivers) may face the brunt of these changes, but little research has examined the consequences of COVID-19 on eating pathology in caregivers. A community sample of caregivers (N = 140) completed a cross-sectional online survey assessing demographics, stress and concern about weight gain before/during COVID-19, disordered eating (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire-Short Form), and emotional eating (Emotional Eating Scale-Revised). Significant positive relationships emerged between stress and concern about weight gain before/during COVID-19 and disordered eating, emotional eating-depression, emotional eating-anger/anxiety, and emotional eating-boredom. Stress and concern about weight gain during, but not before, COVID-19 positively predicted variance in disordered eating and emotional eating. Stress was associated with lower emotional eating-boredom when concern about weight gain during COVID-19 was low. Stress was associated with lower emotional eating-depression when concern about weight gain before COVID-19 was low, but when high, stress was associated with higher emotional eating-depression. Stress and concern about weight gain before/during COVID-19 may be relevant to worsened disordered eating and emotional eating in caregivers, a neglected population in the literature. Targeting concern about weight gain may weaken the relationship between stress and emotional eating-depression and emotional eating-boredom among caregivers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The interaction of negative psychological well-being and picky eating in relation to disordered eating in undergraduate students.

The extant literature on picky eating focuses on children, leaving adults understudied. A sparse and mixed evidence base suggests relationships exist between picky eating and disordered eating in adults. The present study furthered this research by examining shared negative psychological correlates as moderators that may strengthen relationships between picky eating and disordered eating in undergraduate students. Participants (N = 509; 76.3% female) completed a cross-sectional survey assessing picky eating (Adult Picky Eating Questionnaire), disordered eating (Binge Eating Scale and Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire), and negative psychological correlates including anxiety, depression, and stress (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 Items), inflexible eating (Inflexible Eating Questionnaire), obsessive compulsive disorder (Short Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Screener), and social eating anxiety (adapted Social Phobia Scale) symptoms. Positive relationships were observed between picky eating and binge eating, dietary restraint, eating concerns, overall eating pathology, and all negative psychological correlates. Moderation analyses examined if negative psychological correlates strengthened relationships between picky eating and disordered eating. Higher inflexible eating and anxiety and stress symptoms interacted with higher picky eating in relation to disordered eating, specifically eating concerns. Interactions between picky eating and negative psychological correlates did not explain variance in binge eating, dietary restraint, and overall eating pathology. Findings complement research demonstrating overlap between picky eating and disordered eating and highlight specific negative psychological correlates that may strengthen relationships between picky eating and disordered eating. Researchers and clinicians interested in concurrent picky eating and disordered eating should consider these negative psychological correlates given their potential to worsen disordered eating.

Teacher Experience, Personal Health, and Dieting Status Is Associated With Classroom Health-Related Practices and Modeling.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that schools play an important role in student health; however, little is known about variability in teachers' use of food-related classroom practices. In this study, we examined associations between teacher demographic and individual factors and their food-related practices and modeling in the classroom. METHODS: We had 239 teachers in the United States complete an online survey about their demographics (years of teaching experience, socioeconomic status of the school), personal health status, height and weight, and nutrition knowledge. Teachers also reported on the unhealthy food-related practices they use in their classroom (eg, candy as a reward) and modeling (ie, engaging in unhealthy and healthy eating practices in front of students). RESULTS: Hierarchical linear regressions were computed for each outcome separately. After controlling for socioeconomic status, fewer years of teaching experience and lower perception of personal health were associated with the use of unhealthy practices in the classroom. Teachers who were dieting were more likely to endorse healthy modeling. CONCLUSIONS: Teacher demographic and individual factors are associated with food-related classroom behavior. These findings have implications for interventions to promote the health of teachers and their students.

Progressing the care, husbandry and management of ageing mice used in scientific studies.

Driven by the longer lifespans of humans, particularly in Westernised societies, and the need to know more about 'healthy ageing', ageing mice are being used increasingly in scientific research. Many departments and institutes involved with ageing research have developed their own systems to determine intervention points for potential refinements and to identify humane end points. Several good systems are in use, but variations between them could contribute to poor reproducibility of the science achieved. Working with scientific and regulatory communities in the UK, we have reviewed the clinical signs observed in ageing mice and developed recommendations for enhanced monitoring, behaviour assessment, husbandry and veterinary interventions. We advocate that the default time point for enhanced monitoring should be 15 months of age, unless prior information is available. Importantly, the enhanced monitoring should cause no additional harms to the animals. Where a mouse strain is well characterised, the onset of age-related enhanced monitoring may be modified based on knowledge of the onset of an expected age-related clinical sign. In progeroid models where ageing is accelerated, enhanced monitoring may need to be brought forward. Information on the background strain must be considered, as it influences the onset of age-related clinical signs. The range of ageing models currently used means that there will be no 'one-size fits all' solution. Increased awareness of the issues will lead to more refined and consistent husbandry of ageing mice, and application of humane end points will help to reduce the numbers of animals maintained for longer than is scientifically justified.

"I don't go to Meetings": understanding farmer perspectives on bovine TB and biosecurity training.

In 2016, a veterinary service company, XL Farmcare UK, was awarded a Defra contract to manage a series of on-farm demonstration workshops to raise biosecurity awareness. The workshops provided free training for cattle farmers in England on the practical measures that they could take to limit the threat of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Despite communicating these events to farmers, the number who subsequently attended them was low and the company decided to conduct research to seek explanation. Farmers were interviewed at agricultural shows, their comments analysed and the frequency of words in use were measured to produce a set of common themes. This thematic analysis provides an illustrative rather than representative picture of farmer opinions yet holds significant explanatory value for understanding the apparent lack of engagement with biosecurity training. Broad-ranging farmer perspectives can be understood through a 'typology' of feelings about bTB, particularly expressions of blame, loss, confusion, ignorance, resignation and fear. The cumulative effect amounts to one of overwhelming negativity, explaining why so many farmers disengaged from training provision; a finding with relevance and value for the way training providers plan future communication methods in relation to biosecurity risk mitigation.

A meta-analysis of Animal Assisted Interventions targeting pain, anxiety and distress in medical settings.

OBJECTIVES: Research suggests Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) reduce negative outcomes in medical settings, but quantitative examinations of their effects on medical outcomes such as pain, anxiety, and distress are lacking. DESIGN: A comprehensive literature search and meta-analysis were conducted in which 22 studies (13 child, 9 adult) met inclusion criteria. Both intervention versus control and intervention pre-post effect sizes were computed using a random effects model. RESULTS: The overall intervention versus control effect size was large and significant (d = 1.65, 95% CI = 0.46-2.832). Similarly, the pre-post effect size was large and significant (d = 2.19, 95% CI = 0.74-3.64). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this meta-analysis indicate that AAI can yield large effects across a number of medically relevant outcomes. There is, however, substantial methodological variation across studies and more randomized clinical trials with stronger methodological controls are needed to establish the effectiveness of AAI compared to other interventions.

Aerosolization of Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium abscessus from a household ultrasonic humidifier.

PURPOSE: To measure the aerosolization of Mycobacterium avium subspecies hominissuis and Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies abscessus from ultrasonic humidifiers. METHODOLOGY: An ultrasonic humidifier was filled with sterile tap water and inoculated with water-acclimated cells of either the M. avium or M. abscessus strains to achieve a range of densities similar to those of mycobacteria found in drinking waters. During operation of the humidifier, aerosols were collected using an Andersen 6-Stage Cascade Sampler. RESULTS: Cells of the M. avium and M. abscessus strains were readily aerosolized and recovered in particles (1-5 µm diameter); small enough to enter the furthest reaches of the human lung. Aerosolization of M. abscessus was significantly reduced in the presence of a normal drinking water bacterial flora. Significantly greater numbers of M. avium cells were aerosolized from high-density suspensions (1200 c.f.u. ml-1), than from low-density (120 c.f.u. ml-1) and very low-density (12 c.f.u. ml-1) suspensions. CONCLUSIONS: This report documents the potential for M. avium subspecies hominissuis and M. abscessus subspecies abscessus cells in drinking water to be aerosolized from one type of portable humidifier; an ultrasonic humidifier. Care should be taken in using an ultrasonic humidifier where an individual at risk for mycobacterial pulmonary disease could be exposed.

Postpartum depression and resilience predict parenting sense of competence in women with childhood maltreatment history.

This study examines the effect of a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) on parenting sense of competence, taking into account the influence of resilience and postpartum depressive symptoms as moderators of this relationship. Participants (N = 131) were a community sample of women recruited into a larger study of maternal childhood maltreatment. Women completed questionnaires over the phone at 4 months postpartum and parenting sense of competence (PSOC) was assessed during a home visit at 6 months postpartum. A three-way interaction emerged; women with low depression and high resilience factors maintained high levels of PSOC, even when they had a CM history. In contrast, among women with one postpartum risk factor (depression or low resilience) CM was associated with decreased PSOC. Results suggest that a mother's well-being postpartum moderates the effect of a childhood maltreatment history on her parenting sense of competence. Reducing postpartum depressive symptoms and enhancing resilience may be important components for interventions that address parenting confidence with maltreated women.

Dopamine Receptor Gene DRD4 7-Repeat Allele X Maternal Sensitivity Interaction on Child Externalizing Behavior Problems: Independent Replication of Effects at 18 Months.

The DRD4 VNTR has been associated with child behavior problems in interaction with maternal insensitivity in European and American cohorts of preschoolers, with the 7-repeat (7R) allele associated with greater problems. We sought to replicate and expand these findings by examining effects on reports of child behavior problems at 18 months. A 63 family sample with data for observed maternal sensitivity ratings, DRD4 VNTR genotype, and maternal report of child behavior problems at 18-months was used in this preliminary analysis. Maternal sensitivity was measured at 6-months of age using laboratory observational measures (free-play and a teaching task). Maternal report of toddler behavior was obtained at 18-months via the standard Child Behavior Checklist, and infant genotype on the DRD4 VNTR was obtained using PCR. Infants carrying the DRD4 7R allele showed greater effects of maternal insensitivity than non-carriers for behavioral problems at 18-months. We replicated previous findings of association of infant DRD4 x maternal sensitivity interactions with child Externalizing problems in the European-ancestry sample (N = 42) in a median split of maternal sensitivity (p = .00011, eta2 = .329) and in regression analyses controlling for maternal age, maternal depression, and child gender in European ancestry (B = -3.4, SE 1.33, p = .01) and the total sample (B = -2.2, SE 1.02, p = .02). Exploratory analyses also found evidence of DRD4 x maternal sensitivity interaction with the CBCL ADHD scale. These findings replicate in an independent cohort DRD4 x maternal insensitivity interaction effect on child externalizing behavior problems at 18 months, further supporting the role of the DRD4 genotype in differential sensitivity to parenting.

Comorbid trajectories of postpartum depression and PTSD among mothers with childhood trauma history: Course, predictors, processes and child adjustment.

BACKGROUND: Both postpartum depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been identified as unique risk factors for poor maternal psychopathology. Little is known, however, regarding the longitudinal processes of co-occurring depression and PTSD among mothers with childhood adversity. The present study addressed this research gap by examining co-occurring postpartum depression and PTSD trajectories among mothers with childhood trauma history. METHODS: 177 mothers with childhood trauma history reported depression and PTSD symptoms at 4, 6, 12, 15 and 18 months postpartum, as well as individual (shame, posttraumatic cognitions, dissociation) and contextual (social support, childhood and postpartum trauma experiences) factors. RESULTS: Growth mixture modeling (GMM) identified three comorbid change patterns: The Resilient group (64%) showed the lowest levels of depression and PTSD that remained stable over time; the Vulnerable group (23%) displayed moderately high levels of comorbid depression and PTSD; and the Chronic High-Risk group (14%) showed the highest level of comorbid depression and PTSD. Further, a path model revealed that postpartum dissociation, negative posttraumatic cognitions, shame, as well as social support, and childhood and postpartum trauma experiences differentiated membership in the Chronic High-Risk and Vulnerable. Finally, we found that children of mothers in the Vulnerable group were reported as having more externalizing and total problem behaviors. LIMITATIONS: Generalizability is limited, given this is a sample of mothers with childhood trauma history and demographic risk. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the strong comorbidity of postpartum depression and PTSD among mothers with childhood trauma history, and also emphasize its aversive impact on the offspring.

The roles of resilience and childhood trauma history: main and moderating effects on postpartum maternal mental health and functioning.

OBJECTIVE: Recently postpartum women participated to investigate main and moderating influences of resilience and childhood history of maltreatment on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), parental sense of mastery, and family functioning. METHOD: At 4-months postpartum, 214 mothers (145 with a history of childhood abuse or neglect) completed interviews assessing mental health symptoms, positive functioning, resilience and trauma history. Multiple and moderated linear regression with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and Childhood Trauma Questionnaires (CTQ) were conducted to assess for main and moderating effects. RESULTS: Resilience, childhood trauma severity, and their interaction predicted postpartum PTSD and MDD. In mothers without childhood maltreatment, PTSD was absent irrespective of CD-RISC scores. However, for those with the highest quartile of CTQ severity, 8% of those with highest resilience in contrast with 58% of those with lowest CD-RISC scores met PTSD diagnostic criteria. Similar, in those with highest resilience, no mothers met criteria for postpartum MDD, irrespective of childhood trauma, while for those with lowest quartile of resilience, 25% with lowest CTQ severity and 68% of those with highest CTQ severity were depressed. The CD-RISC, but not the CTQ, was predictive of postpartum sense of competence. The CD-RISC and the CTQ were predictive of postpartum family functioning, though no moderating influence of resilience on childhood trauma was found. CONCLUSIONS: Resilience is associated with reduced psychopathology and improved wellbeing in all mothers. It further serves as a buffer against psychiatric symptoms following childhood trauma. Such findings may assist in identification of those at greatest risk of adverse functioning postpartum, utilization of resilience-enhancing intervention may benefit perinatal wellness, and reduce intergenerational transmission of risk.

The role of childhood trauma and PTSD in postpartum sleep disturbance.

Despite robust associations between postpartum sleep difficulties and maternal psychopathology, little attention has been paid to the role of childhood trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the present study, we examined sleep complaints in postpartum women with a history of childhood trauma compared to postpartum women who were not exposed to childhood trauma. Participants (N = 173) completed questionnaires by telephone at 4-months postpartum. After adjusting for nuisance variables, there were significantly higher rates of sleep disturbance (falling asleep and staying asleep) for women with a past history of neglect (OR = 4.84, p = .036 and 5.78, p = .006, respectively), physical abuse (OR = 9.20, p = .002 and 3.84, p = .044, respectively), and physical abuse with sexual abuse (OR = 5.95, p = .011 and 3.56, p = .045, respectively). Current PTSD was significantly associated with trouble staying asleep (OR = 4.21, p = .032) whereas recovery from PTSD was associated with trouble falling (OR = 4.19, p = .015) and staying asleep (OR = 3.69, p = .011). Our findings affirm the contribution of childhood trauma and PTSD to postpartum sleep.

Directed evolution of ionizing radiation resistance in Escherichia coli.

We have generated extreme ionizing radiation resistance in a relatively sensitive bacterial species, Escherichia coli, by directed evolution. Four populations of Escherichia coli K-12 were derived independently from strain MG1655, with each specifically adapted to survive exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation. D(37) values for strains isolated from two of the populations approached that exhibited by Deinococcus radiodurans. Complete genomic sequencing was carried out on nine purified strains derived from these populations. Clear mutational patterns were observed that both pointed to key underlying mechanisms and guided further characterization of the strains. In these evolved populations, passive genomic protection is not in evidence. Instead, enhanced recombinational DNA repair makes a prominent but probably not exclusive contribution to genome reconstitution. Multiple genes, multiple alleles of some genes, multiple mechanisms, and multiple evolutionary pathways all play a role in the evolutionary acquisition of extreme radiation resistance. Several mutations in the recA gene and a deletion of the e14 prophage both demonstrably contribute to and partially explain the new phenotype. Mutations in additional components of the bacterial recombinational repair system and the replication restart primosome are also prominent, as are mutations in genes involved in cell division, protein turnover, and glutamate transport. At least some evolutionary pathways to extreme radiation resistance are constrained by the temporally ordered appearance of specific alleles.

Quantification of deficits in lateral paw positioning after spinal cord injury in dogs.

BACKGROUND: Previous analysis of the behavioural effects of spinal cord injury has focussed on coordination in the sagittal plane of movement between joints, limb girdle pairs or thoracic and pelvic limb pairs. In this study we extend the functional analysis of the consequences of clinical thoracolumbar spinal cord injury in dogs to quantify the well-recognised deficits in lateral stability during locomotion. Dogs have a high centre of mass thereby facilitating recognition of lateral instability. RESULTS: We confirm that errors in lateral positioning of the pelvic limb paws can be quantified and that there is a highly significant difference in variability of foot placement between normal and spinal cord injured dogs. In this study there was no detectable difference in lateral paw positioning variability between complete and incomplete injuries, but it appears that intergirdle limb coordination and appropriate lateral paw placement recover independently from one another. CONCLUSION: Analysis of lateral paw position in the dog provides an additional tier of analysis of outcome after spinal cord injury that will be of great value in interpreting the effects of putative therapeutic interventions.

Development of a universal measure of quadrupedal forelimb-hindlimb coordination using digital motion capture and computerised analysis.

BACKGROUND: Clinical spinal cord injury in domestic dogs provides a model population in which to test the efficacy of putative therapeutic interventions for human spinal cord injury. To achieve this potential a robust method of functional analysis is required so that statistical comparison of numerical data derived from treated and control animals can be achieved. RESULTS: In this study we describe the use of digital motion capture equipment combined with mathematical analysis to derive a simple quantitative parameter - 'the mean diagonal coupling interval' - to describe coordination between forelimb and hindlimb movement. In normal dogs this parameter is independent of size, conformation, speed of walking or gait pattern. We show here that mean diagonal coupling interval is highly sensitive to alterations in forelimb-hindlimb coordination in dogs that have suffered spinal cord injury, and can be accurately quantified, but is unaffected by orthopaedic perturbations of gait. CONCLUSION: Mean diagonal coupling interval is an easily derived, highly robust measurement that provides an ideal method to compare the functional effect of therapeutic interventions after spinal cord injury in quadrupeds.