Perception of unfamiliar caregivers during sickness - Using the new Caregiver Perception Task (CgPT) during experimental endotoxemia.

Social withdrawal is a well-established part of sickness behavior, but in some contexts sick animals might gain from keeping close instead of keeping away. For instance, sick individuals are more willing to be near known individuals who can provide care and safety (close others) compared to when healthy. Yet, interactions with some strangers might also be beneficial (i.e., healthcare professionals), but it is not known how sickness interplay with social behavior towards such individuals. Here, we assessed if sickness affects perception of caregivers, and developed a new task, the Caregiver Perception Task (CgPT). Twenty-six participants performed the CgPT, once after an injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.8 ng/kg body weight, n = 24), and once after an injection of saline (n = 25), one hour and forty-five minutes post-injection. During the task, participants watched short video clips of three types of caregivers: a healthcare professional taking care of a sick individual, a healthcare professional not taking care of a sick individual, and a non-healthcare professional taking care of their sick adult child or partner. After each video clip, the likability, trustworthiness, professionalism, and willingness to interact with and receive care from the caregiver were rated on visual analogue scales. Results showed that participants injected with saline rated healthcare professionals who did not take care of a sick individual less positively on all aspects compared to healthcare professionals who took care of a sick individual. Moreover, compared to saline, LPS increased the participants' willingness to receive care from healthcare professionals and non-healthcare professionals providing care, but not from healthcare professionals not providing care. Thus, our results indicate that sick individuals may approach unknown individuals with potential to provide care and support.

The walking sick: Perception of experimental sickness from biological motion.

Identification of sick conspecifics allows for avoidance of infectious threats, and is therefore an important behavioral defense against diseases. Here, we investigated if humans can identify sick individuals solely from biological motion and posture (using point-light displays). Additionally, we sought to determine which movements and sickness parameters would predict such detection. We collected video clips and derived point-light displays (one stride presented in a loop) of sick walkers (injected with lipopolysaccharide at 2.0 ng/kg body weight) and the same walkers when healthy (injected with saline). We then presented these displays to two groups, one group classified each walker as sick or healthy (study 1, n = 106), and the other group scored the walkers' health on a visual analogue scale (study 2, n = 106). The raters were able to identify sick individuals above chance, and rated sick walkers as having worse health, both from observing video clips and point-light displays. Furthermore, both sickness detection and worse apparent health were predicted by inflammation-induced increase in rigidity and slower walking, but not other cues. Altogether, these findings indicate that biological motion can serve as a sickness cue, possibly allowing humans to identify sick conspecifics from a distance, and thereby allowing for disease avoidance.

Benefit of pazopanib in advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumours: results from a phase II trial (SSG XXI, PAGIST).

BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) resistant to the tyrosine kinase inhibitors imatinib and sunitinib may be treated with regorafenib, which resulted in a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 4.8 months in the GRID trial. Also, pazopanib, another tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been studied in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial (PAZOGIST) in the third line, which showed a PFS of 45.2% 4 months after study entry, but patients intolerant to sunitinib were also included. We designed another trial evaluating pazopanib, enrolling only patients with progression on both imatinib and sunitinib. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Since all eligible patients had progressive disease, we preferred a non-randomized, phase II multicentre trial so that all patients could receive a potentially active drug. Patients had a progressive metastatic or locally advanced GIST and were ≥18 years of age, with a performance status of 0-2, and sufficient organ functions. The primary endpoint was disease control rate (defined as complete remission + partial remission + stable disease) at 12 weeks on pazopanib. A Simon's two-stage analysis was used with an interim analysis 12 weeks after enrollment of the first 22 patients, and if passed, there was a full enrolment of 72 patients. GIST mutational analysis was done, and most patients had pazopanib plasma concentration measured after 12 weeks. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients were enrolled. The disease control rate after 12 weeks was 44%, and the median PFS was 19.6 weeks (95% confidence interval 12.6-23.4 weeks). Pazopanib-related toxicity was moderate and manageable. No statistically significant differences were found related to mutations. Plasma concentrations of pazopanib had a formal but weak correlation with outcome. CONCLUSION: Pazopanib given in the third line to patients with GIST progressing on both imatinib and sunitinib was beneficial for about half of the patients. The PAGIST trial confirms the results from the PAZOGIST trial, and the median PFS achieved seems comparable to the PFS achieved with regorafenib in the third-line setting.

Increased abdominal fat mass and high fat consumption in young school children with congenital heart disease: results from a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: We have previously found that infants with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) experience growth failure despite high-energy dietary supplementation. This is a follow-up and comparison with healthy controls at 9 years of age regarding body composition and macronutrient intake, especially in relationship to the diet provided during infancy. METHODS: Anthropometric changes in 10 children with CHD at 12 months and at 4 and 9 years of age were analysed as Z-scores. To assess body composition and food intake at 9 years of age, a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan and a 3-day food diary were completed and compared with age- and gender-matched controls using Wilcoxon's signed-rank test for matched pairs. RESULTS: Growth changes from 12 months to 9 years, converted to Z-scores for weight for height and height for age, were significantly different within the group of children with complex CHD, although no growth differences were seen in comparison with healthy controls at 9 years of age. However, the children with CHD had statistically higher abdominal fat mass index and higher daily intake of fat, particularly from saturated fatty acid in g kg-1 compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: At 9 years of age, children with complex CHD with growth failure and high fat intake in infancy have normalised growth but increased abdominal fat mass and higher intake of saturated fatty acid compared to their peers. Nutritional monitoring in early childhood may detect unhealthy diet quality and prevent later health risks in this group.

Outcomes in Patients With Chest Pain Discharged After Evaluation Using a High-Sensitivity Troponin T Assay.

BACKGROUND: Most patients with chest pain are discharged from the emergency department (ED) with the diagnosis "unspecified chest pain." It is unknown if evaluation with a high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) assay affects prognosis in this large population. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate whether the introduction of an hsTnT assay is associated with reduced incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) and cardiovascular (CV) risk profile in patients with chest pain discharged from the ED. METHODS: The study included 65,696 patients with "unspecified chest pain" discharged from 16 Swedish hospital EDs between 2006 and 2013 in which an hsTnT assay was introduced as the clinical routine. Patients evaluated with a conventional and an hsTnT assay were compared regarding the occurrence of 30-day MACE and CV risk profile based on information from national registries. Patients directly discharged and those discharged after an initial admission were analyzed separately. RESULTS: Fewer directly discharged patients experienced a MACE when evaluated with an hsTnT compared with a conventional assay (0.6% vs. 0.9%; odds ratio [OR]: 0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57 to 0.83). In contrast, more patients discharged after an initial admission experienced a MACE when evaluated with an hsTnT (7.2% vs. 3.4%; OR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.76 to 2.72). Admitted patients had a higher general CV risk profile when evaluated with hsTnT, whereas directly discharged patients had a lower general CV risk profile with the same test. CONCLUSIONS: Patients directly discharged from the ED with unspecified chest pain experienced fewer MACEs and had a better risk profile when evaluated with hsTnT. Our findings suggest that more true at-risk patients were identified and admitted. The implementation of hsTnT assays in Swedish hospitals has improved evaluations in the ED.

Changes in attitudes, intended behaviour, and mental health literacy in the Swedish population 2009-2014: an evaluation of a national antistigma programme.

OBJECTIVE: Public stigma of mental illness is still a major problem where numerous population studies during the last decade have mainly shown no improvements. A Swedish national antistigma campaign has been running 2010-2014. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in public stigma during this period as compared to baseline in 2009. METHODS: Yearly population surveys were made between 2009 and 2014 including assessments of mental health literacy, attitudes, and intended future behaviour. Two surveys were made, one including a nationally representative sample and one including a representative sample from three original campaign regions. Multiple regression analyses, also including age, gender, education, and familiarity with mental illness were made to investigate yearly changes in public stigma compared to baseline. RESULTS: Mental health literacy improved significantly in the campaign regions between 2009 and 2014, as did intended future behaviour. Attitudes toward mental illness also improved significantly. Improvements were also shown in the national population surveys, but the time pattern of these compared to that of the original campaign regions indicated that these changes took place mainly after the campaign had been extended to a further five Swedish regions. CONCLUSION: The results of our surveys suggest that a campaign primarily based on social contact theory and involving people with lived experience of mental illness may, even in a rather short-term perspective, have a significant positive impact on mental health literacy, attitudes, and intentions of social contact with people with mental illness.

Dietary intake in infants with complex congenital heart disease: a case-control study on macro- and micronutrient intake, meal frequency and growth.

BACKGROUND: Children with severe congenital heart disease (CHD) need considerable nutritional support to reach normal growth. The actual intake of macro- and micronutrients in outpatient CHD infants over a 6-month period in infancy is not described in the literature. The present study aimed to prospectively investigate the distribution between macro- and micronutrient intake, meal frequency and growth in children with CHD. METHODS: At 6, 9 and 12 months of age, a 3-day food diary and anthropometric data were collected in 11 infants with severe CHD and 22 healthy age- and feeding-matched controls. Macro- and micronutrient intake, meal frequency and growth were calculated. RESULTS: Compared to the healthy controls, CHD infants had a statistically significantly higher intake of fat at 9 months of age (4.8 versus 3.6 g kg(-1) day(-1) ), a higher percentage energy (E%) from fat, (40.6% versus 34.5%) and a lower E% from carbohydrates (46.1% versus 39.6%) at 12 months of age, and a lower intake of iron (7.22 versus 9.28 mg day(-1) ) at 6 months of age. Meal frequency was significantly higher at 6 and 9 months of age (P < 0.01). Mean Z-score weight for height, weight for age and body mass index for age were significant lower (P < 0.01) at all time points. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a higher intake of energy from fat and a higher meal frequency, the intake does not meet the needs for growth, and the results may indicate a low intake of micronutrients in CHD infants.

Nano-plastics in the aquatic environment.

The amount of plastics released to the environment in modern days has increased substantially since the development of modern plastics in the early 1900s. As a result, concerns have been raised by the public about the impact of plastics on nature and on, specifically, aquatic wildlife. Lately, much attention has been paid to macro- and micro-sized plastics and their impact on aquatic organisms. However, micro-sized plastics degrade subsequently into nano-sizes whereas nano-sized particles may be released directly into nature. Such particles have a different impact on aquatic organisms than larger pieces of plastic due to their small size, high surface curvature, and large surface area. This review describes the possible sources of nano-sized plastic, its distribution and behavior in nature, the impact of nano-sized plastic on the well-being of aquatic organisms, and the difference of impact between nano- and micro-sized particles. We also identify research areas which urgently need more attention and suggest experimental methods to obtain useful data.

Effects on cognitive and clinical insight with the use of Guided Self-Determination in outpatients with schizophrenia: A randomized open trial.

Poor insight has a negative impact on the outcome in schizophrenia; consequently, poor insight is a logical target for treatment. However, neither medication nor psychosocial interventions have been demonstrated to improve poor insight. A method originally designed for diabetes patients to improve their illness management, Guided Self-Determination (GSD), has been adapted for use in patients with schizophrenia (GSD-SZ). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect on insight of GSD-SZ as a supplement to treatment as usual (TAU) as compared to TAU alone in outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia. The design was an open randomized trial. The primary hypothesis was cognitive insight would improve in those patients who received GSD-SZ+TAU as assessed by the BCIS. We additionally explored whether the intervention led to changes in clinical insight, self-perceived recovery, self-esteem, social functioning and symptom severity. Assessments were conducted at baseline, and at 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-up. Analysis was based on the principles of intention to treat and potential confounders were taken into account through applying a multivariate approach. A total of 101 participants were randomized to GSD-SZ+TAU (n=50) or to TAU alone (n=51). No statistically significant differences were found on the cognitive insight. However, at 12-month follow-up, clinical insight (measured by G12 from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale), symptom severity, and social functioning had statistically significantly improved in the intervention group as compared to the control group. "Improving insight in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia", NCT01282307, http://clinicaltrials.gov/.

Alemtuzumab (anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody) as single-agent therapy in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)-a single region experience on consecutive patients.

Alemtuzumab, a humanized anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody, is used in patients with refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We report results in health care with alemtuzumab on consecutive, advanced-stage patients from a well-defined geographical region. Records from 1,301 patients (Stockholm-Cancer-Registry 1991-2010) identified 56 relapsed/refractory patients treated with alemtuzumab. Median age was 69 years, 88 % had advanced Rai-stage with median 3 prior therapies. One fourth had bulky lymphadenopathy and 73 % were refractory to purine analogues. Median treatment length was 11.6 weeks. Median cumulative dose was 930 mg, significantly higher (p = 0.0277) for responders. Overall response-rate (ORR) was 43 %; 32.5 %, 50 % and 87.5 % in the Refractory, Purine analogue relapsed and Relapsed/Other subgroup, respectively. Response rate was significantly associated with subgroup (p = 0.0104). Good performance status (PS) was associated with better response rate (p = 0.0227). Median time-to-treatment-failure (TTF) (months) was 7.8 months, significantly (p < 0.0001) longer for responders (13.4) Major infections occurred in 36 %. Median overall survival was 22.5 months (range 0.4-74.3). Positive predictive factors were good PS (p < 0.0001) and fewer previous therapies (p = 0.0038). Twenty percent were retreated with alemtuzumab with an ORR of 54.5 %, and a TTF of 7.1 months. A high cumulative dose/longer duration of therapy and a relatively high response rate was observed compared to previous reports. Optimal patient identification and management may result in avoidance of early discontinuation and possibly better outcomes.

Sex identification and PIT-tagging: tools and prospects for studying intersexual differences in freshwater fishes.

This study evaluated a technique to allow the long-term monitoring of individual fishes of known sex in the wild using sex confirmation in close proximity to the reproductive period combined with individual tagging. Hundreds of partially migratory roach Rutilus rutilus were tagged with passive integrated transponders (PIT) following sex determination in spring and various performance measures were compared with fish tagged outside the reproductive period in autumn. Short-term survival was >95% for R. rutilus sexed and tagged under natural field conditions. Total length (LT ) did not affect the probability of survival within the size range tagged (119-280 mm), nor were there differences in timing of migration the following season between individuals sexed and tagged in spring and individuals tagged in autumn (i.e. outside the reproductive period). Also, a similar per cent of R. rutilus sexed and tagged in spring and tagged in autumn migrated the following season (34·5 and 34·7%). Moreover, long-term recapture data revealed no significant differences in body condition between R. rutilus individuals sexed and tagged in spring, individuals tagged in autumn and unmanipulated individuals. The observed sex ratio of recaptured fish did not differ from the expected values of equal recapture rates between males and females. Hence, there is no observable evidence for an adverse effect of tagging close to the reproductive period and therefore this method is suitable for studying intersexual differences and other phenotypic traits temporarily expressed during reproduction at the individual level in fishes.

Landlords' experiences of housing tenants suffering from severe mental illness: a Swedish empirical study.

The aim of this Swedish study was to describe landlords' experiences of having tenants suffering from severe mental illness. Sixteen landlords working in private and public housing agencies participated in open in-depth interviews. Data were subjected to a thematic latent content analysis. The results showed that having tenants with severe mental illness entails being confronted with various difficult circumstances, ranging from mismanagement of apartments to sensitivity among neighbours as well as issues regarding provocative behaviour. It involved providing assistance that was far beyond their professional obligations and to be neglected by the community-based psychiatric service system when in need of help. In order to support landlords and to prevent evictions of individuals with severe mental illness, community-based psychiatric services need to be more pro-active in their attempts to achieve collaboration with the parties at hand.

Manifestations of acute appendicitis: a prospective study on acute abdominal pain.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this prospective study was to identify the clinical symptoms and signs most important for the prediction of appendicitis among patients with acute abdominal pain. METHODS: Clinical findings in 2,478 patients admitted to the emergency department of Mora Hospital from February 1997 to June 2000, with acute abdominal pain of up to 7 days' duration, were registered in a database. The medical records were reviewed after 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 432 patients were suspected of having appendicitis and in 221 this diagnosis was confirmed. Some 53 patients, with another preliminary diagnosis, were eventually found to suffer from appendicitis, making a total of 274 patients with appendicitis. Appendectomy was performed in 316 patients and was negative in 14%. Clinical diagnosis of appendicitis had a sensitivity of 0.81, a specificity of 0.90, a positive predictive value of 0.51, a positive likelihood ratio of 8.1, and a diagnostic accuracy of 0.89. The highest odds ratios were found for isolated tenderness in the right iliac fossa (3.29), rebound tenderness (3.00), right-sided rectal tenderness (2.53), migration of pain to the right iliac fossa (2.18), and local guarding (2.11). CONCLUSION: Clinical findings indicating localised inflammation in the right iliac fossa were reliable in predicting acute appendicitis. The patients' history of pain combined with a careful clinical examination still plays an important role in detecting appendicitis among patients with acute abdominal pain.

Lung transplantation for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after allo-SCT.

Chronic GVHD (cGVHD) associated bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is a serious complication after allo-SCT, and lung transplantation (LTx) may be the ultimate treatment option. To evaluate this treatment, data on all patients with LTx after allo-SCT ever performed in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland were recorded and compared with survival data from the Scandiatransplant registry. In total, LTx after allo-SCT had been performed in 13 patients. Allo-SCT was done because of AML (n=6), CML (n=3), ALL (n=2), immunodeficiency (n=1) and aplastic anemia (n=1). All developed clinical cGVHD, with median interval from allo-SCT to LTx of 8.2 (0.7-16) years. Median age at LTx was 34 (16-55) years, and the median postoperative observation time was 4.2 (0.1-15) years. Two patients died, one due to septicemia, the other of relapsing leukemia, after 2 and 14 months, respectively. Four developed BOS, one of these was retransplanted. The survival did not significantly differ from the survival in matched LTx controls, being 90% 1 year and 75% 5 years after LTx compared with 85% and 68% in the controls. We therefore suggest that LTx may be considered in carefully selected patients with BOS due to cGVHD after allo-SCT.

Oral microflora and dietary intake in infants with congenital heart disease: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Infants with moderate to severe congenital heart disease (CHD) are at a higher risk for growth failure and malnutrition due to increased metabolic demands and inadequate energy intake. This state requires meals that are more frequent and a special enriched diet, which may have negative implications on oral health. AIM: To examine the oral colonisation of some bacteria associated with caries development during infancy; mutans streptococci (MS) and lactobacilli (LCB) in infants with CHD and whether their dietary intake had an impact on the bacterial levels. DESIGN: This was a prospective case-control study. 11 infants with CHD and 22 healthy, age-matched infants were enrolled. Saliva samples and food diaries were collected at 6, 9, and 12 months of age. The total viable counts of MS and LCB in saliva were determined, and energy intake, meal frequency, intake of proteins, fat, carbohydrates and sucrose were calculated. RESULTS: At 12 months of age, the MS count was higher in the CHD group than in the controls (p<0.01), and MS constituted a higher ratio of the total viable count of oral bacteria (p<0.01). Meal frequency was higher in the CHD group at 6 and 9 months of age than in the controls (p<0.05). The intake of sucrose did not differ between the groups, while the total carbohydrate intake was higher in the control group at 6 and 12 months of age (p<0.05). Compared with the control group, which had six courses of antibiotic administration, the CHD infants had 21 courses (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Infants with severe CHD have higher levels of MS at 12 months of age than the healthy controls. A higher meal frequency and use of diuretic medication and antibiotics may have influenced MS colonisation.

Partial migration in fishes: causes and consequences.

Partial migration, where only some individuals from a population migrate, has been widely reported in a diverse range of animals. In this paper, what is known about the causes and consequences of partial migration in fishes is reviewed. Firstly, the ultimate and proximate drivers of partial migration are reflected upon: what ecological factors can shape the evolution of migratory dimorphism? How is partial migration maintained over evolutionary timescales? What proximate mechanisms determine whether an individual is migratory or remains resident? Following this, the consequences of partial migration are considered, in an ecological and evolutionary context, and also in an applied sense. Here it is argued that understanding the concept of partial migration is crucial for fisheries and ecosystem managers, and can provide information for conservation strategies. The review concludes with a reflection on the future opportunities in this field, and the avenues of research that are likely to be fruitful to shed light on the enduring puzzle of partial migration in fishes.